


rooftop stories (this might be my everything)

by foreverfangirlwrites



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Character Growth, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Meet-Cute, NaNoWriMo 2019, Weekly Updates, Writer Percy, but also like established relationship, get ready for a long ride, i actually wrote a whole ass book, it has a bit of everything, kind of slice of life, so the whole thing is already written, the whole hoo gang is here, there's a roof involved (as you've probably gathered from the title), you'll see - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:08:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 54,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25455946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foreverfangirlwrites/pseuds/foreverfangirlwrites
Summary: In the middle of July, on an unusually hot day, as the sun had started to set, he had been overtaken by a sudden urge for movement. Maybe it was the heat, or the boring day at work, or the fact that he was alone in the tiny apartment. Whatever it was, it had fueled him.So, when the sky was all pink and blue he had walked out the door with a vague half-formed idea about exploring. He had found an unmarked door that led up some steps and opened up onto cracked concrete, rumbling vent fans and a rooftop that was about to change his life.That, he thinks, taking another sip of his still-scalding latte, is probably where it all began.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Comments: 149
Kudos: 171





	1. The Beginning

It starts on the first day of November in a small little coffee shop with a caramel latte with only one shot of espresso, because he doesn’t actually like the taste of coffee.

It starts with a small notepad he stole from work and a pen he got for free at a job fair three months ago.

It starts there, in that moment, when he takes the first sip, immediately burns his mouth, and clicks his pen to begin.

But really, he supposes, it started years ago, when he was ten and obsessed with The Hardy Boys, or maybe at fourteen when he found a website where he could share his thoughts, or maybe…maybe it began a year and a half ago on a rooftop in New York.

In the middle of July, on an unusually hot day, as the sun had started to set, he had been overtaken by a sudden urge for movement. Maybe it was the heat, or the boring day at work, or the fact that he was alone in the tiny apartment. Whatever it was, it had fueled him.

So, when the sky was all pink and blue he had walked out the door with a vague half-formed idea about exploring. He had found an unmarked door that led up some steps and opened up onto cracked concrete, rumbling vent fans and a rooftop that was about to change his life.

That, he thinks, taking another sip of his still-scalding latte, is probably where it all began. 


	2. The First Chapter

Annabeth is jittery.

Perhaps the whole moving into a new place by herself is finally catching up to her. 

It’s a mixture of excitement at the newfound independence she’s always wanted and the nervousness of being completely on her own. It’s wonderfully terrifying.

Which is perhaps the best way to sum up what she’s been feeling ever since she graduated in May and walked out to cloudy weather with a diploma and no clear idea of what she was doing. 

It’s pretty much the same now, except she has a job and a new apartment, so that’s something at least. 

She needs this, she tells herself as she tears off the newspaper packaging she had used to pack some bowls. She needs to get out there, be completely on her own, experience life and...she just needs to do something that feels like progress.

Moving out of home and into a new place, albeit small and cramped, has been the first step. She nods confidently at the white ceramic bowl. Yes, she’s making moves. She’s gonna figure it out.

The bowl doesn’t respond but she takes the way the light glints on the surface as she puts it in the cupboard as a sign.

She stops to stare at the absurd amount of boxes still laying around. Unpacking is hard. Not because it’s actually a hard task, but rather that there’s just so much of it.

So when her phone rings a second later, she gratefully takes the opportunity to take a break.

“Hey Pipes, what’s up?”

“What’s up with you! You’re the one who just moved into a new place, how’s it going so far?”

Annabeth frowns at the box underneath her, still filled with plates that need to be put away. How did she even accumulate this many plates? She had maybe two all of college. 

“Unpacking is a chore, but other than that, it’s fine.”

“Are you sure you don’t want help with anything?” She can hear the hopefulness in Piper’s voice. She wants to help.

Annabeth’s been really stubborn about the whole moving thing, she knows, but it just felt right that she should do it herself. She doesn’t know where this idea had come from or why she had hung onto it so strongly, but she had done it. She had moved in by herself.

Well, with the exception of the couch, which her stepmother had offered to pay half of if she let her brothers help her with it. And she wasn’t going to turn down a discount. 

“No, I’m good,” she replies. There’s a pause.

“Seriously,” she insists, “I’m good, already done with the plates and bowls.” As if unpacking two different kinds of items would convince Piper, regardless of how true they were.

“Okay…” Piper responds, not sounding very sure, “if you say so.”

Annabeth lets out a huff as she adjusts the phone so she can open the next box. “I’m capable of unpacking, you know.”

Piper sighs on the other end. “I know you can, but it’s worrying you won’t let anyone help you. Help isn’t a bad thing, you know. You don’t have to go it alone.” 

She’s right. Piper is usually right. So instead of focusing on the implications of what her best friend has just said to her, she focuses on the frustration she’s feeling at her own incapableness to open the box while holding the phone.

And then it strikes her that she can just put it on speaker. No one is going to overhear or get annoyed. 

She’s all alone. 

It’s a liberating, albeit, slightly scary thought. And she sets the phone on speaker, suddenly glad that Piper had called her.

“How was your day?” she asks, pulling out the last plates and bowls. One still has the Ikea sticker on it and she curses the deal on bulk they were having because she’s not sure all of it will fit in her tiny cupboard.

“Oh no,” Piper warns, “you’re not going to change the subject on me. Why aren’t you accepting help?”

She sighs, closing the cupboard that has somehow managed to fit everything.

“Because I don’t need it, it’s just unpacking stuff.” There’s a silence as Piper waits for more.

“And I’ll ask for help if I need it,” she continues, “I promise.”

Piper sighs again. This must be a frustrating conversation for her, but Annabeth is too busy deciding which slot the newly found forks are going to go into, and focuses on that instead. 

“Alright, please reach out if you do, I’m here for you.”

She stops messing with the forks. “I know Pipes, thank you.” 

And with that the call ends, because Annabeth has more unpacking and Piper’s sister needs her to do something.

Annabeth stares at the darkened screen once they hang up. She knows she has people, really good people who care about her. But she just needs to do this, by herself. She just needs a moment to figure things out.

The kitchen is mostly unpacked by the time the clock strikes eleven. She’s tired but the adrenaline (or whatever it’s called) is still coursing through her, keeping her awake.

The nervous energy that has been slowly building the entire day rises to the surface and overtakes her again. The jittery feeling is back. 

So she gives up on unpacking and decides to explore the building.

It’s not that big, just a normal New York building that was made ages ago and featured eight (well nine, if you count the basement) different apartment units. She’s on the second floor and the people above her are loud as fuck. Even as she steps into the hallway, she can hear the voices coming from the third floor. 

Not really knowing where to go, she starts climbing up because she’s seen down. The third floor is exactly like hers, featuring two doors, one with more scuff marks than the others. That’s probably the one with the noise. She wonders how the people next to them cope. 

The fourth floor is a little bigger, because it’s the last one and features three doors instead of two. The third is unmarked. Probably a supply closet? 

Nevertheless, she makes her way to the unmarked door because it’s the only thing of interest and she’s caught up with the idea of exploring. 

It’s not locked, to her surprise. Even more surprising, it doesn’t lead to a closet but rather a set of stairs. 

Feeling a little like what the kids in Narnia must have felt, she climbs up the stairs to another unmarked door that’s been jammed to remain unlocked. 

It swings out to reveal a small rooftop area bathed in the yellow light of the lightbulb that hung right inside of the door. She can’t see too much, because it’s dark outside (and cloudy for a summer night). 

But she can make out the silhouette of some vent fans and a concrete railing that marks the edge. There’s a haze around the entire scene and she realizes that it’s started to drizzle. 

Despite that, she steps out. It’s a little cold and she can feel the water on her skin, but it feels nice to get some air. This place has a lot of potential, she thinks, if only there was some seating.

She needs to leave before she gets too wet and she makes a vow to be back the next day.

(And you best believe she does).

-.-

Percy loves Nico, truly. But the music is just too damn loud, and with how thin the walls in this apartment are, he’s pretty sure he’s not the only one getting annoyed. Though, to be fair, the third floor directly beneath them seems to have a never ending party so…

As it is, he’s trying to get some writing done and Panic! At the Disco (as much as he loves their songs) is just not conducive to writing.

“Hey Nico!” he tries to shout over the music. Twenty seconds later, he is tired of waiting and pokes his head out into the living room.

“Nico!” he shouts. The boy actually turns around this time and nods his head at him.

“Dude, volume, please!” he manages to get out, flailing his arms in some manner. Somehow though, Nico gets the message and turns it down.

“Better?” Nico asks, grumbling.

“Yes, thank you, I’m trying to…” he panics.“Take a nap,” he ends up blurting.

“Oh shit, sorry dude,” Nico actually looks a bit guilty, which makes Percy feel even guiltier. He waves off the apology and retreats back to his room which is relatively quieter. 

He sits on his bed (because desks are for people who don’t want to commit to a full-size bed) and runs his hands over his face. Why couldn’t he just say he was writing? Nico would have understood. Why did he feel the need to keep this a secret? 

For some reason, unknown to even himself, the thought of the people in his life knowing that he writes is too much. There’s always the fear they’ll start questioning him about it, or wanting to read it, and he just can’t do that. 

It’s much easier to put it online for strangers who don’t know him to read. 

He lets out a long sigh and pulls his laptop back to him, screen still displaying a blank document.

Okay so maybe he was  _ trying _ to write.

Same difference really, as far as anyone knew. Typing is hard enough but coming up with  _ words _ is straight up ridiculous and then on top of that, formulating those words into  _ sentences _ is insane, and making it all into a whole cohesive plotline with characters and conflict and bibliography in APA format is just impossible!

He doesn’t know why he’s trying to write, especially when he has no motivation or ideas or talent or anything really. 

He’s doing that thing again that Grover calls Unproductive Spiraling, which is just him taking a thought and running with it. 

To be fair though, what else are you going to expect from a writer? Well, wannabe writer since the document in front of him is still blank. This is not going well.

He’s committed though so he just starts typing in hopes that maybe something will happen along the way. A far-flung wish for sure, but he’ll be damned if he doesn’t try. 

He gives up after fifteen minutes.

The document has twelve words: “The first word that registered in his still half-asleep brain is rug.” And he’s asleep even before his head hits the pillow. He’ll do it tomorrow.

Probably.

He wakes up an hour later to loud music and squints his tired eyes at his bedroom wall imagining it to be Nico. 

He’s awake enough now to notice the still-open laptop next to him. He blinks at the twelve words on the document and wonders where the hell he was going with that. 

As he puts away the device, a loud drum solo wafts through the living room and Percy squints at the wall again, giving his best  _ are you kidding me _ face to the pretend Nico there. 

Miraculously, it somehow works because the music starts to get quieter again as Nico probably remembers that he was supposed to keep it down.

Percy’s asleep again before he does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did you think? As I mentioned in the tags, I wrote this for NaNoWriMo last year so the whole thing is already written and I'll be doing weekly updates for this. I've written a lot of fanfiction but this is my first time writing something novel-length and I hope you guys like what's to come! 
> 
> Please comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts!  
> And as always, thanks for reading!  
> See ya next week! :)


	3. The Second Chapter

A month into the job and she’s mostly got it figured out. A mixture of surprisingly comprehensive training and the fact that her job is not terribly difficult (despite the fancy title of “Software Tester”) made it pretty easy to fall into some semblance of a rhythm two weeks in. The company is fine and so are the people and she thinks that if there was ever a point in time where her expectations had been met, it was now. 

Her boss is actually nice, she’s gotten to know a few coworkers well enough to ask questions and she’s really starting to have an in with the receptionist. Receptionists always know what’s up.

But more importantly, her job pays enough to afford rent, food, and most importantly, high speed internet. 

Though the one aspect she had failed to consider in her new life was the existence of rush hour traffic and the Ford Focus in front of her that just needs to _ hurry up already  _ the light has _ been  _ green. And, for some reason, it’s now that it hits her just how drastically different things are. 

Just two months ago she had been in college, rushing to classes, taking finals and finishing projects. The life she had led, in some way or another, for sixteen years of her life. But now even the concept of school feels so far away. She frowns at the Ford as thoughts flood her brain and the feelings start to come back, staying up too late, cramming for tests, flying by the seat of your pants...

Well, that last part hadn’t changed. Except she has a full time job with benefits. It’s a weird feeling.

Before she can continue to ponder her existence, however, her phone rings and she picks it up without even looking.

“Hey Pipes,” she says and since her brain is going down this route, another thought strikes her. Does she only ever communicate with people over the phone now?

Is she that...alone? 

She knows that’s not true, Piper visited her not that long ago and she hung out with another friend last weekend. But the thought still pesters her, much like the Ford in front. 

She switches lanes as soon as she’s able.

“You would not believe the nerve of Ashley today,” Piper was saying. 

“What happened?”

And then the rest of her headspace is spent shouting expletives at Ashley cause -THE NERVE OF THAT BITCH.

-.-

Percy has had a thoroughly unsuccessful day. Not only was his job even more tedious and boring than usual, there is next to no food in the apartment, and to top it off, he hasn’t been able to produce a single paragraph of his story.

It’s the worst writer’s block to hit him in a while and his pacing back and forth is doing nothing to help the story, or the fact that it’s just an exceptionally hot summer day. He is very much struggling™.

He stops his pacing in front of the window, where the sky is painted in a brilliant shade of orange and pink. It’s so beautiful and he wishes he was an artist because at least he could paint a sunset if he ran out of ideas, or at least use it as inspiration. As it was, all his brain could come up with was his characters getting too close to the sun and burning to their death.

Yep, thoroughly unproductive. 

A minute of silence later (Nico has a late shift), he’s getting restless, antsy even, most likely from his inability to make even a modicum of progress. 

So without really thinking about it he grabs his phone, keys and notebook, along with his favorite pen and walks out the door, ready to Make Some Progress. 

He realizes as soon as he locks the door behind him though that he has absolutely no idea what that entails. He starts to walk towards the stairs heading down, when out of the corner of his eye, he sees the third unmarked door on his floor slightly ajar. 

It stops him in his tracks because in the year he’s lived here, it’s never been open. He always thought it was some supply closet or something. Curiosity, and lack of a plan, lead him to push it further open with his foot. 

There’s a staircase inside. A whole ass staircase. Next to his apartment door, for a year, and he’s just now finding this? Not wasting any more time, he sprints up the steps, opens the other grey door at the top and walks out onto the roof of the building that he had always considered inaccessible.

It’s not a big space per say, but it’s big enough to house four vent fans while still leaving room in the middle for two slightly-worse-for-wear lawn chairs.

He can see the other buildings around him and a glimpse of a street in the distance and of course to his right, the slightly dimmer setting sun. 

The lawn chairs are faded enough for him to know they got their time in the sun. They’re a light green and salmon, but he thinks they must have been a vibrant lime green and deep orange in their heyday. 

He plops down on the green one and opens his notebook to a fresh page. His word document hadn’t gone anywhere, but maybe his pen would. He clicks it, poses it over the fresh page and forces himself to write at least one word. 

The word is “green” and he doesn’t stop the flow of ink until it’s too dark to see and his hand is absolutely cramped. He leaves the rooftop thinking maybe the day hadn’t been thoroughly unproductive after all. 

-.-

There’s something off in the scene in front of her. She can’t tell what it is but she’s got A Feeling. Thirty more seconds of being unable to identify the reason later, she gives up and plops down on the lawn chair, pulling the beer bottle to her lips.

She lets out a sigh as she leans back against the salmon plastic. She really needed this, things have been—well, actually they’ve been fine. She frowns. She went to work, made food, talked to Piper, watched Youtube, so really life was fine then?

But then why did she feel...stressed? Was it stress? If so, what was she stressed about? She takes another sip frowning at a vent fan. If she wasn’t before, she is now, wondering what could possibly be causing her stress. 

Well great, there went any relaxation she could have had. Honestly, sometimes her thoughts are just...Not Helpful.

She huffs out a breath and leans further back in her chair, hearing it creak as she does so. She sits up quickly, looking back to see if she has broken it. 

They were already old enough and she’s sure that the lady on the first floor was getting rid of them for a reason. But they were cute. In an old, dingy, not that cute at all, way. But they fit the aesthetic of the rest of the roof well enough, so she had kept them. Plus, they really weren’t that bad to sit on. 

She hasn’t broken it, thankfully, and she’s turning back around in her chair when she sees it. The thing that was wrong with the picture. The other lawn chair, the green one, has been moved. It’s facing out a little, towards the sunset, like someone had sat on it.

It catches her off guard because the idea of other people also coming up here is something she’s never considered before. It makes sense, it’s not like she’s the only one in the building. But it’s still a little jarring to know that someone else had been in what she has now deemed  _ her _ space. 

The frown doesn’t leave her face, whether it’s from her earlier frustration or fact that someone else was there, she’s not sure. She starts to doze off and wakes up harshly fifteen minutes later to a siren down the street. 

It’s a little disconcerting, and she tiredly trudges back inside.

She doesn’t realize she forgets her beer bottle.

-.-

The first thing Percy notices is the beer bottle.

It’s left by the side of the orange lawn chair and it catches him off guard for a moment before he realizes someone must have brought the chairs up. Plus, he’s not the only tenant in the building.

That said though, it’s sort of become his place. He hasn’t told anyone, not even Nico, about it. 

He had even had the opportunity to mention it when Grover had asked about his writing. Grover was the only person, other than his mother, to know about his writing. And that was only because he was his best friend, and roommate for a time, and had barged into his room one day to find Percy looking extremely terrified and clutching his laptop. (Even Grover had been surprised to find out that it was not, in fact, porn, but his own writing he had been looking at).

Grover wasn’t even in the same state as him, and he had a hard time mentioning the rooftop.

He goes over to the chairs and sits on the green one again, because whoever else comes up here sits on the orange one and he feels like he should respect that.

And he already kind of chose green.

(Even though they left an empty beer bottle.)

He gets out his notebook once again because last time paper and pen had been more conducive than a screen. He looks at where he left off and attempts to build off of that.

It’s not as productive as last time, because it’s honestly a toss up with writing sometimes, and he gives up about a half hour in. The sun is mostly set anyway and Nico will probably be back soon. He stands up to stretch away the stiffness of writing and glances down at the beer bottle as he does so.

After considering it for a moment he decides to pick it up and throw it away on his way back to his apartment.

-.-

Annabeth heads straight for the roof when she gets home after catching dinner with Frank. As nice as it had been to catch up with him, midway through when he had ordered a beer, a twist in her gut reminded her that she had left her own bottle up here. 

She had resisted the urge to cut everything short just to come back and throw it away. She doesn’t even know why it matters so much, it’s not like she can get in trouble. But it bothers her anyway, like she needs to hold herself to a better standard. 

So when she slams the door open, with the yellow light from the lightbulb spilling outside and sees nothing, she’s shocked. 

The green chair has moved again and it’s pretty clear whoever else came up here had thrown it away. She continues to stare at the scene, and in the light of the moon along with the lightbulb, she can almost imagine the silhouette of someone sitting there. 

She bites her lip and reaches into her bag. Maybe this is the dumbest idea ever, but, grabbing a pad of post-it notes (that she’s “borrowed” from work) along with a pen (also “borrowed”) she writes out a little note.

_ Thank you _

She steps onto the roof and leaves it under one of the legs of the green chair, weighing it down. It might be stupid, nothing might happen, but there’s a slight chance it’ll turn out interesting. 

She could do with interesting.

The yellow light illuminates the words for a second as she opens the door to head back in. 

-.-

In the golden light of the evening as the sun sets on another beautiful, warm day, Percy stares at the words in his hand with utter bewilderment. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did you think? The plot thickens..actually no the plot is just forming, and i hope that you guys are liking the direction that the story is going in! 
> 
> I want to thank all the people who commented that they were excited to read more, I'm excited to post more! (The weekly updates will continue!)
> 
> Please comment, I'd love to hear your thoughts!  
> And as always, thanks for reading!  
> See ya! :)


	4. The Third Chapter

_ Thank you. _

For what? 

Those are the first words that cross his mind as he looks at the slanted writing on the post-it note. He tilts it slightly so the words read straight, though it doesn’t help him gain any insight other than the person was probably rushed. 

The second thought that crosses his mind is, are they talking to me? 

Presumably so, since he’s still convinced very few people know that this place even exists. Maybe he’d have a better idea if he knew what they were thankful for. And that brings him back to the start.

He sits down on his chair and ponders over it a bit. Assuming it’s meant for him, what has he done recently that someone would thank him for? He held open the door for a girl so rushed this morning that she had yelled her thanks behind her as she all but sprinted. And he told Leo about the bagels by the mailroom. And—

None of that was relevant to The Roof™. That had a nice ring to it. It could be a bar or a club, or both. Like a rooftop one, with the hanging lights and they could totally add more lawn chai—

Also not relevant. Maybe this was another form of the Unproductive Spiraling thing Grover had talked about. 

He tries to remember last night when he had come up, what had—

The beer bottle?

He threw away the beer bottle that had been left out last night. Is that what this is about? He makes a face, staring at the note. It’s the only conclusion he’s been able to reach so far (and also the only relevant thing to The Roof™).

Leaning back further in his chair, he thinks that whoever this is must care a lot about this place to go through the trouble of writing a thank you note over a single beer bottle. But he finds himself nodding in approval. He can respect that. It would’ve definitely bothered him if he had left something like that over here.

He flips open his notebook to a blank page, pen hovering over the paper. Should he respond? 

It’s not really necessary, but it couldn’t hurt, right? Maybe it’d strike up a conversation? Or at least let the other person know they got the note. That’s a pretty valid reason, right? 

Before yet another question can enter his mind, he scrawls out his response. 

_ No problem :) _

Was the smiley face too much? He wants to be friendly, so that the other person would feel okay continuing the conversation. But then again, he wasn’t giving a good enough response to keep the conversation going either. But what else could he add?

Nice choice, I like that brand too? 

Shaking his head, he tears out the note and sticks it under the other lawn chair the way it had been when he arrived. 

But what if it wasn’t towards him at all and actually towards some other third person on The Roof™? And he’s just going to look like an idiot for responding to something not meant for him!

His hand is reaching back towards the note when his brain slaps itself and he realizes that this is completely anonymous and no one would even know. 

But maybe he should add something about the beer just in case?

And for once his brain does itself a favor and commands his body to exit before more Unproductive Spiraling could happen. 

-.-

A smiley face. An honest to god smiley face (with no nose either, she can trust it). 

She plops down on her chair holding the paper in her hands. They responded. With a smiley face. 

Well, they scrawled words with letters that flowed into each other a bit. And the smiley face. Can’t forget that. 

She finds a real smile overtaking her face as she stares at the note. She got a response! A response from some unknown other person who also came on the roof. And they seemed very nice, what with the smiley face and all.

Anonymous notes back and forth, it feels like a story from a book, but it’s actually happening to her and it’s the most exciting thing to happen in...a really long time. She hasn’t felt this involved since she busted ass with her team for the final project for her degree. 

She wants to respond, keep the conversation going. But their response doesn’t lend itself to more conversation either. She snaps open the Pepsi can she’s brought this time and takes a sip reflectively.

They probably wouldn’t mind a response. They responded to her thank you one when they didn’t need to, so most likely they wouldn’t mind another note. Probably. But what should it say?

She stares at the second can of Pepsi she’s brought on the off chance she stays up here long enough to finish the first one. But let’s be real, she’s not going to get to it. Maybe she could leave it as a response.

Like,  _ Have a drink on me _ , with the can on top of it. 

But would it even be good by the time they came back? What if they didn’t come back for a week? Well, she could check on it, take it away if it’s been a day. 

But what if it’s too hot for it to remain outside? The end of July was bleeding into a somewhat cold start to August, so temperatures weren’t that bad. Maybe it would be okay? 

But what if they didn’t like Pepsi, or had a dietary restriction on carbonated drinks or—

Maybe she’s thinking too much. 

She shakes her head and takes another sip. No, she should push herself. This kind of opportunity might never happen again, she might miss out on talking to the potentially only other person to find this place. 

And if there is one thing Annabeth needed right now, it’s a new experience. Something different. Something that feels like progress. 

She writes out her note and leaves the second Pepsi. She’d check back tomorrow. 

-.-

Percy is  _ barreling _ through the small hallway that leads into his building, so it’s not a surprise that just as he gets to the stairs, he almost crashes into another human being coming down at the same time. 

Luckily they’re quicker than he is (or just have way less momentum) and manage to side step just in time, effectively preventing a collision, but causing him to trip up the stairs. 

At least his momentum is stopped in time for him to turn bright red in embarrassment. He makes a face as he turns around to apologize. 

“Sorry…” and oh fuck she’s really pretty. Her face has naturally defined features framed by long blonde hair. Her lips are quirked up in amusement and he flushes again because he successfully managed to look like a complete idiot in front of her. 

She waves aside his apology. “Oh it’s alright, are you okay?”

He nods, rubbing the back of his neck (an old habit formed out of either embarrassment or nervousness, he can’t tell).

“Yeah, I’m fine, just in a rush.”

It’s kind of awkward and she’s looking at him like she’s trying to figure something out and he’s looking at her wondering if her hair is naturally curly. 

“Wait, were you the one who held open the door for me the other day as I ran through?”

He remembers the incident, and there was blonde hair involved, so it’s a safe bet. 

“Yeah, I guess so, didn’t really see you properly with you being in a rush.”

She nods. “Yeah, sorry about that…”

He waves it aside. This conversation is going on longer than it probably should and he has a rooftop to check, but he’s not going to lie and say he’s complaining. 

“Well, we’re even now, I guess,” he jokes back. 

She laughs and it’s very nice. To hear her laugh. It makes him smile. It means nothing. Probably. 

“Well, thank you anyway.”

“No problem.” He smiles back. 

It feels a little like deja vu even though he’s sure he has never met her before. It’s a little weird. She’s looking at him like she’s thinking the same thing.

So with vague words of goodbye they go their own ways. 

-.-

It’s apparent enough to make Nico glance up from his video game and raise an eyebrow when he walks in.

“What happened to you?” he asks. 

Percy shrugs in response, mumbling something incoherent even to himself in hopes to turn Nico away from conversation. 

It’s a far-flung hope, but he’ll be damned if he doesn’t try. 

“What did you even say?” Nico asks and he knows it’s a lost cause.

He sighs, giving in. “I almost crashed into a girl on the stairs on my way up.”

Nico lets out an amused smile. “Nice going Perce.”

He groans as he kicks off his shoes. “It was so embarrassing.”

“Was she mad?”

“No, she was mostly amused. But I literally tripped up the stairs.“ He undoes two buttons on his shirt.

“I’m sure it was endearing?” Nico says, probably in an effort to reassure, but it comes out more of a question.

Percy shrugs and starts to head towards his bedroom door when Nico stops him. 

“Hey, you want to play a round?” he asks, holding out another controller. 

He actually sounds a little unsure, as if he’s worried about the response he’ll get and it’s this tone that causes Percy to turn around. And as much as he just wants to go into his room to change then check the rooftop again, Nico looks  _ nervous _ and he’s not going to say no.

“Sure, let me just change real quick.”

Nico looks...relieved? 

It’s enough to make him worried, and put on his Star Wars pajamas inside out in his rush to get back to the living room. (It’s even more concerning, once he sits down and realizes they’re inside out, that Nico doesn’t even make a joke about it).

“Apex?”

Nico nods and hands him the controller and holy shit when was the last time he sat down and played a video game?

He’s still getting used to shooting while they wait in the lobby for a game when Nico speaks up. “So how was your day?”

He proceeds to miss the target on five separate tries. “Tedious, and boring, the usual.”

Nico offers a sympathetic smile, and whether it’s for his job or the fact that it took him eight tries to hit one target is unclear. “Still? How long is this one?”

Percy shrugs and picks up another gun. (The gun was definitely the problem). “Until the end of the year, but hey, a job is better than no job so I’ll take it.”

Nico nails the target on the first try and luckily they get placed in a game before Percy shames himself further. “That’s true.”

Conversation ceases once they’re in the game. Except for calling out guns and ammo, it isn’t till they’re situated in some bunker does Percy continue. 

“What about you? How was your day?” 

Nico shrugs, though there is a slight tension in it that Percy wouldn’t have noticed if he hadn’t looked up just then. 

“Alright, pretty average day,” he responds. His character is running around for no reason on screen and Percy stays silent, hoping to prompt more conversation. Clearly, there was more to the day than he’s letting on. 

“There was one guy who stuck around for ages trying to choose a guitar,” Nico continues after a beat. 

“Maybe he likes you,” Percy teases, trying to follow Nico’s erratic character. (He was not going to die alone when he inevitably gets shot down by an opposing team).

“I hope so, he was cute,” Nico responds, jumping off the roof of a building. 

A second later they’re being shot at and Percy is pretty useless the whole time, even more useless than normal, perhaps because Nico just did the equivalent of a mic drop and he’s too blindsided to shoot properly.

(He makes up for it by providing med packs).

Nico headshots the last remaining guy and wins the game. The guy is on a roll.

Percy lets out a slow whistle. “Nice job dude.”

Nico doesn’t even enjoy his victory (or gloat about it) and queues them up for another round, still silent after his last statement. 

“Hey, you know it’s alright right? Like I’m cool with it, I...thank you for telling me,” Percy eloquently speaks up in support. (It’s moments like this when he wonders if he is truly a writer).

“Thanks man,” Nico quietly responds, nailing the target three times in a row. And honestly, Percy is more affronted at that than his coming out.

“I just, I didn’t know how to tell you...we...we haven’t really been hanging out lately and you should know ‘cause you’re the closest friend I have and—”

Percy feels a wave of guilt as Nico continues to ramble nervously. He puts a hand on his shoulder to cut him off. 

“I’m so sorry.”

“Wha — ” 

He cuts Nico off again. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around lately, but please know that I still and always will support you. And you can tell me anything.”

Nico nods and Percy can see him blinking back a few tears. How long had he been holding this in?

The guilt deepens. “You’re like my best friend Nico, I’m sorry you’ve felt like this. I hope you know I’m totally okay with whoever you like, it doesn’t change anything.”

Nico nods and Percy manages a slightly awkward side hug.

“Your best friend?” Nico asks quietly, the corners of his lips turning up.

“Well, you and Grover, but Grover is in Maine and you’re my roommate so...” Percy shrugs. 

Nico laughs at that and it’s so good to hear him laugh. It reminds him of when he was younger, carefree and wild, before...well, before he had to grow up too fast.

Percy smiles back, but it’s tinged with guilt. “I’m sorry I’ve been so distant, I guess…”

He trails off. He’s been caught up with writing recently, and the newfound roof and...days go by quick. 

Nico stays quiet and he knows he’s being given space to talk. That’s one of the best things about Nico, he truly listens and gives him the space to say things.

Percy lowers the controller. “I guess I should tell you something about myself since you’ve taken a big step and came out.”

He holds up a hand to silence Nico’s dissent. “No, I want to tell you what I’ve been up to…” he pauses.

He’s never told anyone other than Grover about his writing and it’s strangely making him a little nervous.

“I’ve been...writing. I, um, am trying to write a book. I usually write like short stories and shit but I’m trying to write something, um, well longer, like a book. It’d be cool, you know, to have written a whole book.”

He stops himself and Jesus Christ. New drinking game, take a shot every time he says book. He’s not showing off any prowess of being a writer but Nico takes it stride and nods.

“That’s really cool, dude.” Nico responds casually and it’s the response Percy didn’t know he was looking for. No pressure, no questions, just acceptance. 

He feels like a weight has been lifted off his chest and smiles for a minute before realizing that he stayed still too long and died to an enemy team who just got a really easy kill.

Nico laughs, Percy shoves him, and the night is one of the best in a while. 

He doesn’t even realize he didn’t check the roof like he had planned until he’s seconds away from sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it! Chapter 3 with some Nico feels! I hope you guys are enjoying this so far!
> 
> Please comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts on everything!
> 
> And as always, thanks for reading!  
> See ya next week! :)


	5. The Fourth Chapter

Annabeth is not upset at the sight of her Pepsi can the following morning when she goes to check before leaving for work.

Not upset at all. 

Definitely not wondering if maybe the person had seen it and just chosen to ignore it. And even more definitely not about to just get rid of the can and the note. 

Okay, so she gets rid of the can and note. 

A potentially dumb move but whatever, she’s…she’s just not feeling it anymore. Maybe it was dumb to think that there was something to be had here. Notes on rooftops was such a movie cliche. She wasn’t...she shouldn’t have gotten her hopes up.

The logical side of her mind tells her that maybe the person just didn’t check last night. After all, she wasn’t able to check last night either.

But it doesn’t stop her from grabbing the note and the can and rushing out to her car, because she wasn’t about to be late to work over this stupid shit. 

She calls Piper on the way because, well, she can. 

“So do you think I should wear the baby blue top or the sort of salmon one with that flowy skirt I have?” are the first words out of Piper’s mouth when she picks up the call in less than three rings, and it almost brings tears to Annabeth’s eyes. 

“Baby blue,” she responds, only a little choked up. She has no idea where this sudden surge of emotion has come from. Just because she knows Piper’s wardrobe? God, what a rollercoaster of a morning.

“Good, I was thinking the same,” Piper agrees, continuing the conversation. And damn, for some reason it’s really hitting her right now, in the middle of the morning rush hour, that Piper is truly her best friend. 

“You’re my best friend,” Annabeth tells her, cutting off whatever Piper had been talking about before. 

“Um, yeah, duh, we been knew.” She can hear Piper rolling her eyes. 

“No, but really, you’re like one of three friends I have,” Annabeth insists, the thought really overtaking her. The car behind her honks and she haphazardly merges into a lane as a result.

“Where did this come from?” Piper asks. 

Honestly, she’s not sure. Living alone must finally be getting to her, as freeing as it is, it’s easy to feel like you’re by yourself. It definitely made her more grateful for the people she has in her life, Piper especially, whose wardrobe she knows better than her own. That says something in itself. 

That’s what they don’t tell you, she thinks, about living alone. Just how easy it is to slip into yourself and forget about the others that care about you. 

She merges into the exit and her eye catches the Pepsi can on her passenger seat. 

Or maybe it was the fact that this mystery note person was the first interaction she’s had since graduation that might lead to friendship.

“Annabeth?” Piper prompts after her extended silence. 

“I don’t know, I guess…” she glances at the can again. “I guess I’m realizing just how hard it is to make friends when you’re out of school. You’re not surrounded by people your own age anymore and... I don’t know, it’s just harder once you’re in the real world.” 

She can say for certain that that’s true. Even at her work, there’s only one person close to her age, and even though she has some work friends that are older, it’s just not the same.

She finds herself missing college and damn, this really has been a rollercoaster of a morning.

“Yeah, I can see that. I mean grad school is different enough, I’m sure the workplace is even more so.”

Annabeth nods to the Jeep in front of her.

“But hey,” Piper continues cheerfully. “You always got me!”

And for that, Annabeth’s beyond grateful. 

-.- 

Annabeth is loath to admit that a  _ Pepsi can _ takes up most of her mind through the morning until Hazel (the sweetest person ever, as well as the only coworker around her age) shows up at her desk. 

“What’s bothering you Annabeth?” she asks in her soft voice, and Annabeth swears she’s a psychic, or magical, or both. 

“Nothing, I…” She is not going to talk about the stupid Pepsi can, “I just took a chance at something and it didn’t pan out.”

She’s actually proud of her answer because it sounds ten times better than,  _ I left a Pepsi can on a roof a night ago and took it away this morning _ . 

“Well, did you give it time to pan out?” Hazel asks and it’s so on the nose she’s actually a little blindsided. 

“Um….”

Hazel smiles. “There’s your answer.”

Well shit, it’s simple if it’s put like that. How can such deep knowledge exist in one tiny human? Annabeth stares at her and wonders if maybe she should pay for the therapy she’s just recieved. 

In retrospect, it’s something that could have been on a chocolate wrapper or an inspirational quote on Twitter, but in that moment it was what Annabeth needed to hear. She smiles and offers to get Hazel some coffee because directly paying her seems a  _ little _ ridiculous. 

(And after all this, she’s still not certain that Hazel isn’t a psychic). 

It’s a combination of her conversation with Piper and Hazel’s words that convinces her that she should do this. After all, it really could be the start of a new friendship, or absolutely nothing, but she isn’t going to find out unless she tries. Or gives it time. 

And then there’s also  _ that _ part of her brain, that tiny part she’s mostly pushed aside, that’s constantly seeking...something. Something new, something that feels like progress, something that’ll make things better. 

That last thought is what strengthens her resolve to go back up to the roof.

-.-

Percy is not upset at the lack of a note on the roof when he checks after coming home from work.

Not upset at all.

Definitely not wondering if the person had been creeped out by his note. Definitely not regretting leaving a reply at all and leaving the roof.

Okay, so he regrets answering and turns around to physically leave the roof. 

A potentially dumb move but whatever, he’s just...just not feeling it anymore. Maybe it was just dumb to think that there was something that could come from this. It’s something you’d read about maybe, but not real life. 

He knows, somewhere in his mess of thoughts, that maybe they just hadn’t had anything to say. Or maybe his note was still there…

That thought is the only thing that causes him to turn around and step back onto the roof in search of his note. Maybe it blew away? Or maybe he missed it and it was still under the chair?

A clean sweep of the tiny rooftop confirms it’s not and the sinking feeling in his gut tells him that he shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up. 

The feeling is followed closely by a sense of detachment the longer he stares at the scattering of rooftops and the sky backlighting them. 

Humans are so dumb, he thinks, in an abstract sort of way. He walks up to the concrete “railing” that separates him from the edge of the roof, staring at the street below. 

It’s a residential street, but it’s still warm for August, so people are out and about, walking to and from...god knows where. Humans are so...concerned, most of the time, and mostly about themselves. 

They get so worked up over things that are unknown. Hell, even in his case, the notes are anonymous, he doesn’t even know who the other person is and they certainly don’t have any reference of character for him either.

But really, it’s  _ humanity _ that causes this kind of behavior. Tilting his head to the side, a small smile appears on his face. Now there’s an idea. 

Leaving behind his own reality, he falls instead to the humanity of his characters and their stories and thoughts and actions. It’s the most progress he’s made in forever. 

And maybe it’s his vigour of writing that prevents him from hearing the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs, and what causes his jump when the door to the roof bangs open. 

And from the pink-blue haze in the sky, the fading light combined with that single yellow bulb, illuminates blonde curls and surprised eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did you think? The plot progresses feat. A little bit of existential Annabeth and Percy (and Hazel being the psychic magical queen she is).
> 
> Please review! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this! Especially since this was a introspective heavy chapter!  
> And as always, thanks for reading!  
> See ya next week! :)


	6. The Fifth Chapter

The sky is a pink haze by the time Annabeth gets home and dashes up the steps to the roof, note and Pepsi in hand, and perhaps it’s her own preoccupied thoughts that cause the surprise when the door swings open and the yellow light spills onto concrete to reveal a figure in the relative dark.

The last thing Annabeth expects when she opens the door to the roof is someone else to be there. 

In hindsight, it shouldn’t have been that surprising. She knew someone else frequented the roof and they were bound to run into each other eventually. But in the moment, all she can do is stand and stare as the figure turns and—wait she recognizes that face.

Dark hair swept to the side haphazardly, lean build, defined jaw (that is open to mimic the look of surprise she probably has on her face).

It’s definitely him. 

“You,” she says, the first word her brain manages to come up with.

She steps further onto the roof, still holding the door open so light can come through. It also allows him to see her better and though it’s hard to tell with the lighting, she thinks it’s the same deep flush that had graced his face a day ago when they had run into each other...or rather, when he had (almost) run into her.

He holds up a hand in a little awkward wave. “Hi.”

Good to know his slight awkwardness is always cute and not just that one time.

“Hi,” she replies with a smile. Stepping forward fully, she lets the door swing shut behind her and they’re plunged into the last light of the day. 

He stands up at the motion and they stand there facing each other for a second. It’s obvious by the silence that follows that they were not expecting the other to be there. 

She really should say something, but words are quite literally failing her. She’s tempted to just turn around and leave, but luckily, he speaks up.

“Well, didn’t see that coming,” he jokes. He’s stating the obvious, but it’s the ice breaker they needed, because she feels a genuine smile come to her face.

“Yeah, neither did I...it’s nice to finally meet you, though.” She holds out a hand and hopes he accepts the invitation to get to know each other better.

She shouldn’t have even bothered to worry because as soon as she holds out her hand he takes it, shaking firmly.

“Nice to meet you too,” he replies with a grin. 

He moves to sit back down in his chair and she follows the motion. 

“I’m guessing you’re the one who left the bottle?” he asks, leaning back in the chair.

She nods, slightly ashamed. “Yeah, sorry, I dozed off and then in my hurry to get inside, I forgot about it. I came back as soon as I could to get rid of it only to find that someone else had...”

She’s rambling but this is all so weird that she’s kind of nervous. 

“You’re good, it happens. I was just surprised to see it because it was the first time I realized that I’m not the only person who comes up here.”

She nods. She knows the feeling well. She remembers when she had realized the chair had been moved. 

“I think we might be the only two though, since I’m guessing you’re the one who left the smiley face note. It’s still surprising that more people haven’t found it.”

He smiles like the smiley face. “Yep, that was me. And I don’t know, don’t think that many people roam around the building randomly.”

“I did the first day I moved here.”

He looks surprised at that. “Really? When did you move in?”

“Almost two months ago now.” It’s weird to know it’s been two months already, it feels like it’s gone slow and fast at the same time and she’s mostly left with the feeling like something has passed and she’s missed out.

He nods appreciatively. “Wow, I’ve been living here for like a year and I only found it a month ago.”

She shakes her head. “See, this is why it’s important to explore the apartment building you move into, immediately.”

He laughs, holding up his hands. “You right, you right.”

She smiles back and there’s another moment of silence before the weight in her left hand makes itself known and Jesus has she really been holding onto this Pepsi can all this time?

“Oh! Shit, I completely forgot. This was for you…” she holds out the can shyly. “If you want it, that is…”

It takes him a second to react and she’s afraid she’s fucked up the entire thing, when he smiles and accepts it. 

“Thank you? But why, though?”`

She bites her lip. “Well you see I wanted to respond to your note, but I didn’t know how, so I thought maybe I’d just offer a drink in return, but not like alcohol cause I didn’t know if that would be a good idea so I thought soda would be a safe bet and I was going to leave it out for you.”

She stops her narrative there because she doesn’t need to go into the ten million doubts she had about doing any of it in the first place and how this was her second attempt.

“Thanks, I appreciate it,” he replies with a grin. “I do like Pepsi, and I’m sorry my note didn’t leave much room for a response.”

She waves it off. “Eh, it’s alright.” 

She hears the sound of crinkling and he speaks up, “Oh, there’s a note on the can.” Fuck, she forgot to take that off.

“It’s not important,” she says in what she hopes is a dismissive tone.

“Well, I’ll take the fact that I can’t make out the words as a sign it’s getting too late,” he jokes back and holy shit when did it get so dark?

“You’re right, we should head in.”

He holds open the door for her and she steps through, blinking a little at how bright the light is.

“Ah, it burns,” he jokes, closing the door behind them as they walk down the steps.

“My eyes, my eyes!” she jokes back. 

His laugh echoes in the stairwell. She decides she likes the sound. 

They get to the landing and once again stand facing each other. He’s even cuter in the light and there’s a slight color to his face as he rubs his neck..nervously? 

“So um, wanna hang out again sometime?” 

Yeah, he definitely makes all that awkwardness cute. 

She smiles back. “How about tomorrow at six? You know the place.”

He grins, all traces of awkwardness disappearing. “Make it six thirty and I’m in.”

“Deal.”

She’s three steps on her way down to the third floor when— 

“Wait, I didn’t catch your name!”

She turns to look back at him, leaning against the door to the roof. “Annabeth!” she yells back.

“Percy!”

She tries to hide the warm smile making its way to her face. 

Percy. Why does that sound like the start of something good?

“Six thirty!” she yells as she descends the steps, without the note or the can or the worries.

-.-

Percy is the kind of person that other people say “runs late”. He calls it “running on time”. (He had made it to his spot right before they were called up to accept their diplomas, after all).

But this is one of the few times he’s made it somewhere early. And he has a brick. (Don’t ask where he got that from).

He’s rigging up the brick against the door to the roof so it stays open when the door at the bottom opens up and Annabeth steps through.

“Hey!” She gives a small wave as she climbs up the stairs. 

Percy straightens up from his work and smiles when the door stays open. “Hey!”

She looks over at his handiwork and nods approvingly. “Nice work.”

He grins and god she’s gorgeous in this lighting. “Thanks, I’m quite the handyman.”

“Are you?” she asks as they both make their way to their respective lawn chairs. She’s holding two Pepsi cans and offers him one. “For all your hard work.”

He laughs and accepts the drink. “Thanks, and kinda, I worked in construction for a while.”

“Really? That’s so cool! Is that what you do now?”

He leans back into his chair and it creaks in protest. “No, that was a while ago, but it was fun.”

She nods and leans back too. “I bet.”

He’s kind of glad she didn’t push and ask him what he’s doing now. He just doesn’t want to talk about his work as a temp. It’s not that exciting nor is it what he truly wants. Its sole purpose is to pay the bills and not be a conversation topic. 

“What about you? You ever dabble in construction?” He asks her, taking a sip of the Pepsi. 

She huffs out a laugh. “Oh yeah, for sure, dabbled with a hammer and nails in college with a side of changing lightbulbs.”

It’s ridiculous, but it makes him laugh, like full on guffaw. He doesn’t even remember the last time he used that word.

She smiles at his reaction. “Thank you, I’ll be here all night.”

“I hope so.” 

She looks at him surprised and he freezes because holy fuck that came out way flirtier than he had intended. 

“I mean like, keep the laughs coming,” he adds, awkwardly, cringing at himself and the obviously horrible save. Way to ruin a friendship and day and a half in.

Luckily, Annabeth brushes past his lame and awkward attempt. “Well, no guarantees, but I’ll try. Comedy isn’t really a side gig for me.”

“You should try it out,” he tells her, thanking every god that he hadn’t embarrassed himself into oblivion. 

She shakes her head. “Nah, I’m not that talented. Also not really my thing.”

“What is your thing?” And he genuinely wants to know. It’s been a long time since he’s met someone new and really learned about them. One of the best parts of human connection as well as being a writer, is meeting people and learning their story. 

He wants to learn Annabeth’s story. Actually, he kind of wants to be a part of Annabeth’s story.

The question seems to have stumped her because she’s quiet, eyebrows drawn in together for a minute before she sighs. “Watching Youtube, I guess.”

“Like cat videos?” That’s usually what he ends up seeing on Youtube, or other random videos like that. 

She takes a sip of her drink. “No…like, um, people.”

He doesn’t really get what she’s talking about so he stills his face and hopes she’ll continue.

She does, somewhat hesitantly. “Like Youtubers, I, uh, follow specific channels.”

He nods. Now that he knows what she’s talking about, he doesn’t see why she’s so hesitant to mention it. 

“That’s cool! I’ve never really followed like channels and people on Youtube.” He keeps his tone light. Maybe she’s nervous about being judged? He definitely understands that feeling. 

“Yeah, um, they’re great, or well I think so at least.” She offers a small smile.

“You’ll have to recommend me some.” He grins back. It’s not just for her benefit, he does genuinely want to see what it’s about. 

She lets out a small breath and nods. “Sure,” and then moving past it, “so what’s your thing?”

And just like that the roles are reversed.

“I write,” he finds himself saying. Why he just told a stranger he writes sooner than his close friend and roommate, he doesn’t know. Maybe because he’s used to strangers knowing about his writing.

Nevertheless, he still flushes when Annabeth looks over at him surprised and curious all at once and says, “Really? That’s so cool.”

He shrugs, it’s not that cool, it’s actually mostly Not Cool and Very Frustrating most of the time. “Sure, I mean, its alright.”

She leans back in her chair. “Well, I’m not good at writing, so I think it’s cool.”

He shrugs again, awkward and still kind of struggling with this conversation topic that  _ he _ brought up. Annabeth must pick up on it because the next thing she says takes the attention off him.

“Well, guess we both have something to teach each other.”

He smiles back and holds up his can to be clinked as she laughs and complies. And in the setting rays of the summer sun, the words sound a little bit like a promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it! They’ve finally met! I hope you guys like the way this is going, the percabeth really starts from here on out! 
> 
> Please Comment! I’d love to hear your thoughts!  
> And as always, thanks for reading!  
> See ya! :)


	7. The Sixth Chapter

Annabeth realizes just how...boring her life must be when she’s so ecstatic for six thirty to roll around that she’s there ten minutes early with another two Pepsi cans, sitting in her ugly beat up orange lawn chair. 

It’s a passing thought really, not something she wants to spend too much time dwelling on. Besides, this is the kind of thing that anyone would be excited about, making a friend on the rooftop of your apartment building? That’s straight out of some romcom. 

Anyway, the point is that she’s allowed to be excited. This is good, this is progress, and that’s what she’s wanted right? The whole point of moving here and starting her life fresh and all that. 

She checks her phone for the time. She’d rather be talking to Percy than in her own head. It’s exactly six thirty and she starts getting a little antsy. Sure, they said six thirty, but it doesn’t necessarily mean on the dot. He’s probably on the way.

A minute passes, and she wiggles her toes inside her shoes because technically he’s late and he wasn’t yesterday so maybe he just doesn’t want to see her again, maybe she was too pushy, or maybe he just decided she was too boring and she wouldn’t really blame him—

A loud sound startles her out of her thoughts and she looks anxiously towards the door, thinking maybe it’s him, but it’s just someone throwing out the trash. 

She gets up. She knows she’s kind of spiraling, nervous for no sane reason. He’s probably just running late and she needs to calm the fuck down. 

Pacing the length of the roof, she looks across the other various barren rooftops and small streets that make up the little residential area of camped townhomes and multi unit buildings like hers. 

Standing above everything, high enough for her to observe but low enough to still feel like she’s a part of it all, she smiles. This is the reason she loves it up here.

A sound makes her look back and sure enough, Percy’s there, opening the door to the roof and pushing the brick against it to keep it open.

“Hey! I’m so sorry I’m late! The buses were behind schedule and—”

She walks over to hand him a can of Pepsi. “Don’t worry about it.”

He accepts the can with a smile and she mentally scolds herself for worrying about it. He looks a little harrid, his hair a little messier than yesterday, but it’s a really good look on him.

“Thanks, but I do feel bad, didn’t want you to think I’d bailed or something,” he chuckles at his words but she can sense the nervous energy behind them. 

She realizes then that he’s just as nervous about all this as she is. It makes her feel better.

Taking a breath, she smiles. “Well maybe you should take my number, so you can let me know next time.”

There’s a beat where she worries that she said the wrong thing, but he grins and pulls out his phone. “That’s a great idea.”

She punches in her contact with slightly shaky fingers. She doesn’t know why she’s so full of this nervous energy. 

“There ya go,” she says, handing it back to him. He looks at the contact, then back at her, then back at the contact and types something else before nodding and putting away his phone.

“What was that?” she asks, feeling a little like she just got analyzed.

“Just choosing your emoji,” he responds casually, taking a sip.

“Okay, first of all, you put emojis on people’s contacts?” she raises an eyebrow at him. “ And second of all, what is mine?” 

He smiles, huffing a little. “Well first of all, you don’t? And why should I tell you after that judgemental tone?”

“Okay, I’m sorry,” she amends, smiling “I didn’t mean it like that, you’re right that I don’t. Please tell me what mine is?”

He shakes his head. “Nope, no one knows what their emoji is.” 

She looks at him incredulously. “You mean everyone has one but no one knows what it is?”

He shrugs. “Well, Grover does cause he’s my best friend, and Nico found out because he’s my roommate.”

She eyes him, pulling her lips together. “One day I’ll find out!” 

He laughs and it's the most accomplished she’s felt all day. She wants to make him laugh more.

“You can try,” he challenges back, grinning and it all just feels so natural. She’s only barely aware of the fact that her statement promises a future that doesn’t currently exist yet.

“So how was your day?” she asks, switching topics because she’s made quite a few...putting herself out there kinda moves, and even though he’s going along, she needs to stop.

His profile in the sun looks beautiful, light illuminating his cheekbones and the shadows running along his jawline and— did she mention she needs to stop?

Luckily, he’s not looking at her as he shrugs and responds. “Pretty normal.”

“What’s pretty normal?” she asks. 

Suddenly those green eyes are on her once again. He shrugs again. “Oh you know, work being boring and tedious, public transportation being, well...public transportation and…” he trails off.

“And meeting strangers on the roof of your apartment building?” she teases.

“Strangers? I thought we were friends, you wound me Annabeth!” he cries dramatically causing her to chuckle at his antics. 

“But yeah,” he continues, “this is a typical Thursday for me. Work, public transportation and beautiful girls on rooftops.”

Well fuck. She can feel the heat rise to her face, but she has to keep going, even though she can feel her heart beating faster.

He’s blushing too, avoiding her eyes, and she needs to say something quick.

“Oh really, what happened to all the other girls?” she teases, playing along. 

Percy’s shoulders relax a little as he smiles slyly. “They just weren’t good enough.”

Leaning back in her chair, she raises an eyebrow. “Someone has high standards.”

“Or maybe,” he responds, eyes twinkling, “they just weren’t as good as you.”

Well fuck. Again. That’s the most direct flirting since he showed up on the roof at six thirty five. And even though there’s been a build up, she’s still taken back. 

Her lack of response causes Percy to retreat. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to—”

God she feels like an idiot. “No,” she cuts him off. “No it’s fine I just, how do I follow that up ya know?” She goes for what she hopes is a reassuring smile, but she’s still blushing and hoping she hasn’t messed everything up. 

“Well can’t help with that,” he replies easily. But she can see behind the smile that he’s worried he crossed a line. 

In an attempt to fix the situation she blurts, “I’m sure you could help me with some other things.”

Instant mortification is what follows after the words are said and it’s his turn to be taken back. But once he reads her face, he starts to laugh and she relaxes a miniscule amount.

What had she been thinking? (Evidently, the other things he could help her out with)

His laughter dies down and he winks at her. “I look forward to it.”

-.-

The grin on Percy’s face follows him into the next day, so much so that he gets some looks and hesitant smiles from some of his coworkers. 

He doesn’t really interact with any of them all that much so he understands their surprise, but he’s too giddy in his own world to really care. He doesn’t remember the last time he felt like the nervous excitement of meeting someone completely new and learning all the little things about them.

And he wants to learn all about Annabeth—how she likes her coffee, what she’s like on sunny saturday afternoons, her favorite dessert. He wants to know it all, and with the way they’ve been texting he’s got a good start.

He feels his phone buzz in his pocket and his heart beats a little louder at the excitement of knowing it’s her. Trying (and failing) to contain the smile on his face, he sits down at his desk, pulling out his phone immediately.

It’s refreshing to learn someone new, he thinks, answering her question on his thoughts on pineapple on pizza (gross, by the way). All the people in his life he knows pretty well—Nico, Grover, Thalia, but he hadn’t met someone new in...forever. Come to think of it, his life had been pretty stagnant. 

“It’s the honeymoon phase,” Leo says sagely as Percy pulls his phone out for a third time. 

“Don’t you have a meeting?” Percy shoots back, not looking up from his texting. 

There’s a silence, and when he looks up, Leo’s leaning back in his chair, headset off, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. 

Leo is the other temp and the only person here who Percy considers a friend. They hit it off immediately when Leo walked in wearing a STARS Labs sweatshirt and plopped onto the empty desk space beside him, and said, “You’re the other one right?”

And they became the “other ones,” which sounds much angstier than it actually is. 

“It’s just a friend,” Percy mumbles in response to the raised eyebrow, which is almost disappearing behind the mop of curly brown hair.

Leo smirks and turns back to his screen. “Ah.”

Percy makes a face at him but his phone buzzes so the smile wins. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Leo smiles mysteriously. “Ah,” he repeats, as if that explains everything. It reminds him a little too much of the slight smirk Nico had thrown his way when he had mentioned he was going out to see someone. They would make a dangerous pair...he decides to never let them meet.

Just as he’s about to reply with what probably would have been a great comeback, fortunately, Calypso chooses that moment to walk by and wave at them, and Leo suddenly looks like a deer in headlights. His complexion might be too dark to show it but Percy’s convinced Leo would have turned red.

“Ah,” he says and it’s Leo’s turn to make a face at him.

-.-

It’s one of those days that Annabeth gets to see Piper in real life instead of through a phone, so she tries to make the most of it and not check her phone constantly. 

But Piper’s her best friend for a reason and five minutes into the conversation she gives her The Look™. The best friend look that is used when bullshit needs to be called and tea needs to be spilt. 

Piper leans back. “Spill.”

Annabeth sighs. “So...I met this guy….” she starts slowly, knowing full well that Piper will be pissed.

Piper’s look turns into a glare. “Who I was going to tell you about! I just wanted to ease it in, it’s only been a few days, I promise! I wanted to tell you in person,” she rushes to add. She actually is sorry about it, Piper deserves to know. 

It must come through, because Piper’s glare lessens and she nods for her to continue. 

So she starts her story of the roof and the Pepsi and finally getting his number and by the end of it, Piper looks a mixture of shocked and excited. 

“Okay, you did not preface this by saying it’s a plot to some romance novel,” Piper fake grumbles but her smile gives it away. “And secondly, did you find him on insta yet?”

Annabeth shakes her head and sips her coffee as Piper pulls out her phone, presumably to check both Facebook and Instagram. 

“We’ve been texting on and off all day, getting to know each other a bit more,” she continues.

Piper looks up from her phone (and searching). “And? How do you feel about him?”

That’s...kinda hard to explain. He’s the first potential love interest in her life in a long time. The first friend she’s made outside of college and he’s...different. Maybe it’s just because of the way they met, on a rooftop against the setting sun, but something about him feels different. Probably in the way new things feel different, but she remembers the spark behind his eyes when he talked. He had a passion in life, and that was hard to find. She envies that.

Percy could be the thing she’s looking for, the progress she’s seeking. He makes her heart beat a little faster and her face feel warm and she has a good feeling about him.

“He makes me smile,” she responds finally. 

Piper puts down her phone and looks at her earnestly. “Good. You guys have a unique story and it seems like you’ve found something really cool. I hope it works out.”

The “you always have me part” is left out but Piper doesn’t need to say it for her to know it. She couldn’t ask for a more supportive friend. 

Taking a sip of her coffee as Piper holds out a profile to confirm if it’s him she smiles. 

She thinks it will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sow hat did you think? The spark is lit, and I hope you stick around for the fire lol But yeah, a lot more percabeth in this chapter! Also introducing LEO!! (Also more Piper and Annabeth being bffs)
> 
> Please Comment! I’d love to hear your thoughts!  
> And as always, thanks for reading!  
> See ya! :)


	8. The Seventh Chapter

“So what do you watch on Youtube?” he asks, face bathed in orange light as the clouds from the day thin out to reveal the sun. 

No matter how many times she hung out up here, she would never get used to just how amazing the sights were. The sun, the skyline, Percy...who she had yet to answer.

She hopes the light hides her blush and that she didn’t stare too much. Shrugging, she responds, “All sorts of things, it’s a diverse group...of things…”

She’s doing a horrible job of responding, but it’s a hard thing to explain, and is it even worth it to get into it?

Apparently so, because Percy pushes. “Well, you said you watch specific people.”

“Yeah, that’s why it’s a lot of different things I guess, I’m in it for the people?” 

“What do you mean?” His head is tilted a little and his tone seems earnest enough, and maybe he does want her to get into it.

“Like, I’ve been watching some of these people for years and years now, and I’m part of the communities they’ve cultivated. It’s not about the content, because as long as I care about the person behind the camera, it’s meaningful and entertaining.” She pauses, surprised at her own ability to articulate. 

It’s never really been something she’s thought about all too much, but when he had asked, it made her think and wonder why it was such a big part of her life.

“Watching some of these people, who do genuinely care about their communities and put a lot into them, it’s gotten me through some tough times. It’s that connection with other people, I guess.”

When she says it like that, she almost feels justified in spending an inordinate amount of time on the site. Or maybe she’s craving the connection because she doesn’t have it in her life.

That’s a downward spiral for another day, so instead she turns to Percy and asks, “So what do you write?”

He chuckles. “First off, that’s really cool, I’d like to see some of these people and videos someday. Second off, touché. Third off, a lot of different things...it’s a diverse group of things really.”

His eyes are alight and dancing with mirth as his lips quirk upward and she can’t help but laugh. It feels good to break up the serious tone. She hadn’t meant to get that deep.

She makes a face at his teasing and he holds up his hands. 

“Okay, I’m sorry, but it’s an apt response. I don’t really know how to explain it, I just write about...stuff…”

“Are you really a writer? You seem to be struggling with words,” she teases, smiling.

He groans, leaning back. “Tell me about it, writing is all about struggling with words. But you’re right, I’m barely a writer, not officially published and can barely conjure a decent sentence most days.”

She frowns, the self-deprecating humor was new and she wasn’t not a fan.

“Of course you’re a writer!” She rushes to defend him, “You used the word apt, who else says that?”

He cracks a smile at that. “A lot of people.”

“Writer people,” she corrects. He sits up and tilts his head at her.

“You sure got a lot of faith in my writing you’ve never read.”

“Do you have any published works I can read?” Genuinely curious, she leans forward a little. 

Percy rubs the back of his neck. “Um, kinda, but it’s like short stories and stuff online, I’m not actually published with a book or anything.”

Trying to ease some of his discomfort she doesn’t pursue that line. “Do you want to write a book?”

He relaxes a little and nods. “Yeah, I’m trying to write one. I’ve always wanted to write a whole book, it’s a dream. Even if I don’t publish it officially, I just want to create something, you know?” He gets a faraway look in his eyes. “Something bigger than me, and have it live on. It’s why I like writing, and stories. People are like stories, and everyone has one. And I want to create mine.”

“I mean, don’t get me wrong,” he continues. “It’s hard as fuck, writing, but it’s worth it in the end when you look down and see that you’ve created something from nothing. And so that’s the dream, write a whole book one day.”

He stops talking, as if returning to reality, looking like he’s afraid he’s said too much. 

But just as he opens his mouth to probably apologize for ranting, she speaks up.

“That’s...really amazing.” And it truly is. The passion in his voice, the spark in his eyes as he talked about writing was honestly amazing. 

And if she’s being even more honest, she’s jealous. Percy has a dream, one he’s working towards and a clear passion and dedication to guide him along. 

She wishes she could hear the same tone in her voice when she talked about something. To have a love for something that could make some sort of guide, create a path among all the fog and confusion of life...to know she’s working towards something...it’s all she wants. 

He shrugs, looking down at his jeans, either shy or embarrassed, she can’t tell. 

“No seriously, Percy,” she says earnestly, causing him to look up. “You have a dream, a goal, something you really love. You will write an amazing book one day.”

He gives a half smile. “Yeah, hopefully.” And before she can say anything else he continues, “Also it’s getting dark and cold, we should head in.”

The late August night breeze is a bit chilly and, even though they have the light from the open door, they should be getting inside. She nods and hopes that she hasn’t pushed him too far with the questions.

“I’m sorry if I pushed you with my questions,” she voices her concerns as they walk down the stairs, breaking the silence.

“No, you’re good; It just feels weird talking about it, I don’t do that often…”

“Well I have complete faith that you’ll write your book someday,” she tells him. He shoots her a smile and walks towards the stairs to the third floor with her. 

“I need to check my mail, thought I’d drop you off at your door,” he explains in response to her questioning look. 

She nods and they make their way to the second floor where her apartment is. They don’t say anything and even though it’s not awkward it’s...something.

“Well, this is me,” she says, stopping in front of her door, glad she has something to say.

“Same time tomorrow?” he asks. She nods, relieved that he still wants to see her and she hasn't messed everything up. Seeing Percy in proper light is always a pleasure, but she notices his eyes seem darker than normal. 

“See you then,” she says, a little unsure. It feels weird to leave things off on this note...whatever it is. 

He nods and starts to walk away. She curbs the urge to call out and stop him, when he stops and turns around.

“Why do you have so much faith in my ability to write a book?” he asks.

She shrugs. “Because I can see your passion for it. And that’s a really rare thing to find.”

At the words, a slow smile overtakes his face. “Thank you Annabeth,” he says softly, in a tone that makes her heart flutter a little.

She smiles back. “I’m sure one day you’ll create something as great as what you’ve always wanted.”

-.-

Nico corners Percy in the kitchen as he pulls out the last of the Oreos. 

“Okay, so, we need to talk,” he begins, stopping Percy mid-chew.

“So, um, there’s this guy, that um,” he trails off again and Percy finishes chewing, relieved he isn’t in any trouble.

“The guitar one from the store?” he asks, recalling the conversation from when Nico came out.

Nico’s eyes widen at the words. “Um...yeah actually...I can’t believe you remembered…”

Smirking, he puts another Oreo in his mouth. “See, I listen.”

“So..well...we’re kinda...a thing…” Nico’s struggling to get the words out and Percy tries to be a good friend and not rush him but he needs to know. Nico, little Nico, who was a small bean to be protected, had a boyfriend??

“Like you’re dating?” Percy asks. “He’s your boyfriend?”

“Um, yeah, kinda, I guess. Anyway, the point is,” he says, rushing past the boyfriend part, “I’d like to introduce you.” He pauses as if waiting for a confirmation. 

Percy tries to play it cool and not simultaneously cheer and cry for the growth Nico’s gone through in all the years he’s known him. So he just plops another Oreo in his mouth and nods.

“And I kinda invited him to dinner…” Nico continues, wringing his hands. “Tonight.”

The Oreo was a bad move. He all but chokes on the damn thing at the words, looking at the clock on the microwave as he coughs. It’s 5:30.

“Nico! What time did you say?” he manages to choke out.

“Um..like...6:30? 7-ish? I don’t know!” 

“Dude, we have no food in the house, there’s a reason I’m eating Oreos!”

Nico throws his hands out helplessly. “I’m sorry, I forgot, I don’t know.” He looks like he might throw up and he wasn’t the one coughing up an Oreo.

It’s a big step for him, he’s bound to get nervous and make some mistakes. Percy sighs.

“It’s okay, but we need to haul ass to clean this place up and figure out the food situation.” 

Nico nods and follows him out into the living room where they both begin clearing up the general clutter that’s somehow accumulated. Percy isn’t the messiest person, but he can hear his mom in his head telling him to make the place spotless for guests. 

(Also, it’s Nico’s first boyfriend, that requires extra attention).

At six Nico’s Febreezing the hell out of...well everything...that Percy actually coughs. 

“Okay that’s enough, help me order from this place. What does your boyfriend like?”

Nio mutters something about not being his boyfriend but taps at the menu pulled up on his phone and picks some things out.

Will (Nico’s “not” boyfriend) arrives exactly five mintues after the food does, with a bottle of wine and a bright smile. He likes the guy already.

“Nice to meet you,” Percy says, shaking his hand like a proper adult who had not just coughed up his Oreo dinner forty-five mintues ago. 

Will shakes his hand. “You too, it’s nice to finally meet you. Nico’s talked about you.”

Percy side eyes Nico. “Can’t say the same, you’ll have to fill me in.”

Will laughs, bright and airy and promises to do exactly that as they move towards the food. He’s the exact opposite of Nico, tall, blonde and a ray of sunshine. But more importantly, it’s clear that he’s enamoured with little goth boi ™. 

Percy can’t help but smile, overcome with a sense of pride. Yeah, that’s his best friend and he deserves to be swooned over. 

“Did you guys order this?” Will asks when they move toward the kitchen. It’s a small, cramped table so they’ve laid the food out on the counter instead. (And if he’s being honest, they ordered way too much for three people)

“Um…why do you ask?” Nico asks, looking very unconvincing. 

“Because I ran into a guy that had a Pompeii shirt on, isn’t that an Italian place?”

Nico frowns but Percy laughs. “He caught us.”

Will chuckles. “Also, you forgot to throw out one of the bags,” he adds pointing by the microwave.

“Well shit, you were supposed to be impressed by all the food Nico made.” Percy jokes, ever the hype man.

“You cook?” Will asks, eyebrows raised with a small smile. Something in his eyes reminds him of Annabeth, how she looks at him when she learns something new. The look that makes his heart flutter, just a little.

“Um...yeah, sometimes,” Nico mumbles, clearly embarrassed by the situation.

“He’s actually really good,” Percy pipes in, shooting Nico a wide smile as he turns red.

“You’re gonna have to show me some time.” Will smiles brightly (as usual) and Nico’s blush deepens.

“You would have seen it today,” Percy says taking a forkful of spaghetti to point it towards Nico. “Had someone been more prepared and told me about guests arriving sooner.”

Nico looks like he would murder him if they didn’t have company, but Will bursts out laughing.

“Aww, you’re cute when you pout,” Will says kindly, nudging Nico. Nico just mumbles something and looks away, but not before Percy catches a small smile on his face.

Yeah, he likes this guy. 

Just as they’re wrapping up dinner, Percy’s phone rings. 

“Who’s calling you?” Nico asks, as Percy goes on a hunt to find the source of vibration.

“Shut up, people call me!” he yells from the couch.

“Tell your mom I say hi!” Nico yells back just as Percy finally picks up his phone.

Any snarky remark at Nico dies down when he sees the contact that’s lighting up.

It’s Annabeth.

She’s never called him before and the name paralyzes him just long enough to miss her call. In a moment of panic, he quickly redials without even thinking.

It’s the first time she’s ever called him and he was dumb enough to not pick up quickly enough. He curses under his breath as it rings.

“Hello?”

“Hey Annabeth! Sorry I missed your call, what’s up?” He’s nervous, that much is obvious, and he doesn’t quite know why this feels like such a big step when they chat in person for hours. 

“Um, sorry to bother you. Are you busy?” There’s something in her tone that he just can’t figure out, an edge that’s never been there before.

“Um, kinda, but why do you ask?”

“Oh, um, it’s okay, don’t worry about it.” But there’s an agitation there.

“Wait, no, Annabeth, what’s up,” he rushes to get the words out in case she’s about to hang up. “Please tell me.”

She sighs and he hopes that she’ll explain, because he’s really starting to get worried.

“So it’s kind of dumb…” she starts, “but I kinda need your help.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did you think? A bit of deep conversation, Solangelo cuteness and a minor cliffhanger all in one! (Also when I wrote this ages ago I wanted Oreos and honestly, that hasn’t changed) But yeah, just wanted to develop some more of Percy and Annabeth’s hobbies and of course introduce some Will/Nico cuteness!
> 
> Please Comment! I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!  
> And as always, thanks for reading!  
> See ya! :)


	9. The Eighth Chapter

Percy’s there less than a minute after he hangs up the phone and she curses herself for calling him. Then she curses at herself for being this way. And then she just curses in general.

God, this is embarrassing, but apparently not enough for her to face her fears, so really she has no one to blame but herself. 

He knocks on the door and she yells, “Come in!”

It’s unlocked because she was about to go throw out the trash, now left sagging by the front door, when the beast had appeared causing her to scream and take cover on the coffee table.

Percy rushes in with a look of panic that morphs into confusion when he sees her standing on her own coffee table. 

Maybe dying at the hands of the beast was better than this embarrassment. This is the first time he’s ever come over, and she’s standing on her coffee table like an idiot.

“Hey, um...what’s up?” he asks, about to take a step forward. 

“Don’t move!” She yells, causing him to freeze in place.

Right, calm, she needs to be calm. Taking a deep breath, she continues. “I’m sorry, this is really dumb. But I kind of have this...intense fear of spiders and there’s one right there and OH MY GOD IT’S MOVING!”

There is no more calm. 

Percy looks over to where she’s pointing, and if she’s being honest, it's actually a decent size. And if it takes one more step towards her, she will hyperventilate. 

“Okay, okay,” Percy starts in a soothing voice. “I got this, let me just grab a paper towel real quick, okay?”

He slowly steps around the coffee table to avoid disrupting it and she focuses on breathing. The beast holds it’s position the entire time Percy’s gone, as if it’s challenging her. The thought causes her to shudder.

Percy returns with the paper towel. “Alright, I’m going to kill it now,” he says as he slowly moves towards it.

As if sensing him, the beast scuttles closer to her and she tries to muffle her scream.

Luckily, Percy’s quick and manages to catch it in the napkin and crush it, stuffing it into the trash bag she was about to take out.

“There,” he says, holding up his hands. “It’s gone.”

She breathes a sigh of relief as he helps her step down from the table. “Thank you so much”.

He grins at her, and she knows it’s partially from the excitement that just happened, but it warms her heart. “No problem, I’m here to help.”

She returns the smile gratefully. “No seriously, I know it’s stupid but I can’t get over it. I just realized the downside of living alone…I just can’t handle spiders.”

Actually, there’s a whole rabbit hole of panic about living alone that extends beyond spiders. Like what if something happens to her and she needs help, who would even know? She pushes the thoughts aside. The last thing she needs are more fears.

Luckily, Percy is the best distraction. “Hey, it’s cool, everyone has their thing. Just call me. I’ll be your knight in shining armor!”

She laughs along with him, but deep down she can’t deny that it’s true. He had pulled through when she needed him.

“But seriously,” he adds in a softer tone, “you can call me anytime.”

It’s beyond sweet and her heart (that just calmed down), starts beating faster again. They’re so close and his eyes are so beautiful and his lips—

She needs to stop it there. Returning to reality, she backs up, still blushing. “Thank you Percy, I appreciate it. And I really appreciate you coming to help me today even though you were busy.”

“Oh shit,” he says, as if he too has just been jolted back into reality. “I need to get back to Nico and Will, they’ll be wondering why I left.”

“You didn’t tell them?” she asks incredulously.

“You needed help,” he replies as if that explains everything. And then with a quick, “I’ll text you later,” he runs back up the stairs. Leaving her staring at the empty space where the guy who had dropped everything to come and help her had been.

She can’t stop the cheesy grin that overtakes her face.

-.-

Will and Nico are still sitting at the table where he left them five minutes ago, looking equal parts baffled and surprised.

“What the hell was that?” Nico demands as he shuts the front door behind him.

“Um, right, sorry,” he starts, recalling he had run out the door yelling “I'll be back” with no other explanation. “Annabeth needed help with something.”

He offers an apologetic smile, mostly directed toward Will since he’s the guest. 

“Is Annabeth your girlfriend?” Will asks, curiously. 

Percy’s face flushes, though he’s not sure if it ever stopped. “No…” he trails off as if there’s more to it than that. Spoiler alert, there isn’t. Another spoiler alert, he definitely wants there to be.

“It’s the girl he’s trying to get to be his girlfriend,” Nico explains casually, forking the last of his spaghetti. “Also, we ordered way too much food.”

Percy might have morphed into a tomato, but Nico isn’t wrong. “Leftovers?” he suggests, eager to keep the conversation off of him and Annabeth.

It doesn’t work. 

“Or,” Will pipes up. “You could invite Annabeth.”

Percy and Nico both turn to stare at him. Will just shrugs, keeping his cool. “If you want, that is, I wouldn’t mind, and besides, isn’t that what this is all about?”

“Huh?” Percy asks eloquently.

“Well,” Will starts sweetly, turning to Nico, “isn’t the point of this dinner to introduce the guy you’re trying to get to be your boyfriend?”

Nico chokes on air while Percy bursts out laughing. Yeah, he definitely likes the guy.

-.-

Annabeth stares at her phone, the screen lighting up with Percy’s name. She just saw him like ten minutes ago, why is he calling?

Well it would help if she picked up. Rolling her eyes at herself, she accepts the call just in time.

“Hello?”

“Hi…” she can hear some sheepishness crawl into his voice.

“What’s up?”

“So..uh…” he starts and she can hear people in the background yelling something. “Alright, alright, I’m doing it,” he grumbles to the people in the room.

“So, uh, I was wondering if you wanted to come up and hang out with us? We ordered too much food and Will is here so um, want to join?” he trails off again, and she hears another shout. 

She’s wearing a tank top and pajama pants and this is the last thing she had expected. To be fair, she hadn’t expected the spider either, so really, this night is a toss up.

Part of her thinks she should say no and be polite, but a bigger part of her wants so desperately to say yes and see him again and actually hang out with multiple people.

“Um...sure, I guess,”she finds herself responding. After all, he did ask.

“Cool! I’ll see you in a few.” And with that the conversation ends, and she’s left staring at her phone once again.

Moving to her closet ,she’s all too aware that this is the first time she’s going to his place, and not only meeting his roommate but also some other friend of theirs (she has no clue who Will is). She decides on a Harry Potter v-neck (because that’s always a good talking point) and some jeans, and tries not to fuss too much with her hair, all too aware of the fact that Percy saw her like ten minutes ago.

Nervously excited, she heads up and knocks on the door.

Percy opens on the first knock with a wide grin on his face.

“Hey! Long time no see!”

It’s actually adorable but Annabeth shakes her head at him. “Cute,” she responds dryly.

Percy smirks back. “I am.”

Well ,he’s got her there. He moves aside and she steps into the space, laid out similarly to her own. It’s comfy and clean and there’s a slight scent of Febreze mingling with the Italian food laid out on the counter. 

“Guys, this is Annabeth, Annabeth, this is Nico and his would-be boyfriend Will,” Percy introduces.

On the couch sat the two aforementioned guys. Nico, she presumes, is the goth looking one based off of Percy’s complaints about his loud music, and Will, the exact opposite of Nico, smiling as brightly as his blonde hair.

She gives a little wave. “Hi.”

Nico nods back with a small smile that she thinks is a pretty high honor. 

“Nice shirt,” Will says by way of greeting. She knew the shirt was a good idea.

“Thanks, you a Ravenclaw too?”

Will nods his head. “Yep, Ravenclaws unite!”

“Wait, I’m a Gryffindor,” Percy interjects, walking up behind her. She’s suddenly all too aware of how close he’s standing. “Where my Gryffindors at?”

Everyone turns to Nico who just burrows further into himself, arms crossed. “What?”

“What’s your Hogwarts house, sweetheart?” Will asks, causing Nico to turn pink.

“Would-be boyfriend?” Annabeth asks Percy in a low voice, and so what if she uses the question to get even closer to him. 

“They’re not there yet, but any day now really, if only—” Percy is cut off by Nico’s yell.

“Hufflepuff!”

Apparently, the only thing worse than talking about Hogwarts Houses is his relationship status with Will. Nico is a permanent shade of pink.

“Awww, that’s sweet, I can see it,” Will says, nudging him gently.

“Yeah, okay, can we talk about something else now?” Nico grumbles. Will chuckles and puts an arm around him. It’s really cute, and she’s not going to lie and say she doesn’t wish it was her and Percy on the couch right now. 

Clearly, this apparent crush has risen to levels she had not anticipated.

Percy leads Annabeth towards an armchair and pulls out a chair from their dining table to sit on. (Actually, he flips it around and sits on it backwards and it’s the dumbest thing to find attractive but Annabeth can’t help it.)

“Sure,” Percy says with a grin, “let’s talk about your would-be boyfriend, Will.” He turns to address Will. “So Will, what do you like about Nico?”

She suspects that it actually is a serious question, despite the joke, she knows that he’s sort of protective of Nico.

Grinning, Will plays along, seemingly content to watch Nico suffer. “Well Percy, I like a lot of things. For one—“

“How about we talk about your would-be girlfriend Annabeth!” Nico interrupts yet again.

Everyone in the room freezes, Nico included, and Annabeth feels her face warming up. She ducks her head a little and side-eyes Percy to gauge his reaction. He’s just as frozen and there’s a moment of awkward silence until Will finally speaks up.

“Hey,” he offers a smile to the frozen room. “You can’t distract from all the things I like about you. As I was saying, your hair is super soft…”

Nico buries his face in his hands with a groan and Percy laughs, everything returning to normal.

She takes a moment to mentally thank Will for the save, and even though she laughs along at Nico’s reaction, her mind doesn’t let go of the words. Is she Percy’s would-be girlfriend? They’ve definitely flirted, and sometimes he looks at her in a way that makes her think it’s not just her thinking there could be something there.

And when Percy turns to her every few seconds throughout the night with a smile, and especially when he pulls off his hoodie later, she decides two things:

One, her crush is not going away. And two, being Percy’s girlfriend sounds kinda great.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally the conclusion to the cliffhanger from last chapter, that and some more solangelo! Idk about you guys but I also think that Annabeth being Percy’s girlfriend sounds pretty great, and I hope you guys keep reading to see where that goes!
> 
> Please Comment because I’d love to hear your thoughts!  
> And as always, thanks for reading!  
> See ya! :)


	10. The Ninth Chapter

Now that the metaphorical (and physical) doors had opened to their apartments, Percy thinks it might be okay to be knocking at her door at 8:30 on a Tuesday night. (If it isn't okay, he's not really sure what else to do.)

Annabeth opens the door, clearly surprised at his sudden appearance. And she looks unfairy stunning with her hair down in her simple pajama pants and tank top that was doing absolute wonders for—

"Hey Annabeth, I'm sorry to bother you," he starts right away, cringing a little at how horrible this all sounded. "But um, can I chill with you for like...an hour or so?"

Still looking confused, she nods. "Yeah, of course, come in. What's going on?"

Letting out a sigh of relief, he shuffles through the door. "Thank you, it's too late to go anywhere 'cause things start closing at 9 and I don't have my jacket...sorry about this."

September had hit hard, bringing fall winds, and it was hard to think only a few weeks ago August had held the summer warmth.

"No problem, I don't mind. Is everything okay?" she asks as she shuts the door behind him. He hadn't really gotten a chance to look at Annabeth's apartment last time he was there, given the circumstances.

But this time he takes in the well decorated place with matching furniture and houseplants. It's neat and tidy and so Annabeth that it brings a smile to his face. He can see her curled up on the couch with a blanket. (He can also see her curled up next to him, but that's besides the point.)

"Yeah, Nico is bringing Will back and gave me very short notice, so I was in a rush to leave. Speaking of, do you have an iPhone charger by chance?"

"Um, I don't know...Piper might have left one last time she was here, let me look," Annabeth responds, moving towards a drawer. "So, seems like those two are really hitting it off," she calls back.

"Yeah, annoyingly so," he responds, still looking around the room where his eye catches a photo and one of those things that hold a degree with a seal on top that they give you when you walk the stage. Curious, he walks over and lifts the flap open to see the degree inside.

"Bachelors of Science in Computer Science," with a photograph of Annabeth on graduation day off to the side.

"Okay so I did find one—" Annabeth's words cut off when she sees what Percy's looking at. Immediately he feels horrible. That was such a violation of privacy.

"I'm so sorry!" The words rush out before he can stop them. "I didn't mean to, I mean I was just curious, I—"

Luckily, she ends his misery and cuts him off. "It's okay, it's just my degree. Not a big deal."

It is a big deal. She has a bachelors, in computer science, from an actual university. He knew she was smart, but this just goes to prove it.

"What do you mean? It is a big deal, it's so cool." He's a little envious since he hadn't really had the means to go to a full four year university instead attending a nearby community college and getting an associates degree. It had been an achievement, and worked for his purposes, but part of him always wonders what it would have been like to go to a traditional college.

She shrugs. "It's alright, people always think it's more impressive than it is." She hands him the charger and glances down. "At least I'm using it."

"Thank you," he says, accepting the charger and plugging in his phone. "Do you not like your degree?" he asks as she leads him to the couch.

"I do!" she defends, "I mean it was a big goal of mine and I did it, ya know, it's done. And I'm using it, so that's fine too." She shrugs again and he decides not to push it.

The TV is paused on something and Annabeth blushes as she sees his gaze. "Sorry, I was watching a Youtube video." She pulls out her laptop that apparently was casting to the tv and exits it quickly.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your night." And he is genuinely sorry, but the more time he spends here, the more it's turning into curiosity. "Aas that one of the people you want?"

She nods, still somewhat embarrassed, (but also looking cute). "Well, don't stop on my account." He holds up his hands. "I wouldn't mind watching it either."

She looks at him curiously as if she's trying to figure him out. "Okay, I mean...if you're sure."

He nods surely. "I am. Will you show me?"

And with that, she pulls up the video again and they start from the beginning.

-.-

Percy seemed to laugh quite a few times while he watched the video, so she thinks he's enjoying it.

"That was a great Game of Thrones reference," he points out towards the end of the video.

She shakes her head. "Never seen it."

"What? How?"

An expected reaction, and she doesn't blame him. It does seem everyone and their mother has seen it.

She shrugs it off. "I don't know, I guess I'm not really a TV show person."

"You swear by Doctor Who!"

Okay, that's true, she has gone on about it a few times. "Yeah, that's true... I have a few select shows I watch, but I don't really delve into new stuff that often."

"But then what do you watc—oh."

She nods a little sheepishly. "Yep." Now that it's phrased like that, she really sees how she spends all her time on this platform.

"You really like Youtube."

"And you really like writing. I don't know, it's just my preferred form of entertainment."

He holds up his hands. "Hey, no judgement, that video was pretty funny." He shoots her a true smile. "I'm serious, thank you for sharing, I really enjoyed it."

She lets out a sigh she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She doesn't know why it mattered so much if Percy liked the video. In the grand scheme, it honestly wasn't important. Really, it's just the fact that he was willing to try watching it and didn't make fun of her.

Youtube isn't something she shares with other people, for some reason, maybe because she's afraid of how people will react. But Percy's managed to put her at ease and she relaxes back with a smile.

"I'm glad. By the way you want something? Coffee, tea?" She gets up and he follows her lead, moving to check on his phone.

"Nah, I'm good, I don't drink coffee." He looks at his phone. "By the way, thank you for the charger."

"No problem, you should thank Piper really."

"Piper…" he puts his phone down and turns to look at her. "She's your best friend right?"

She talks about Piper a lot, but it's still heartwarming to know that he's been paying attention. Seriously, everything he does makes her feel good, from the moment he showed up at her door looking all shy and cute and sweet.

"Yep," she responds, pulling out the last two cans of Pepsi she has left. She offers one to him and he accepts

"Well, you can tell her I say thank you." They move back towards the couch.

Piper will definitely be told that, along with everything else that fueled her crush. "So what do you want to watch?" she asks.

He turns to her with a smile. "How about you introduce me to Doctor Who?"

She is more than happy to. (And so what if they end up closer together than normal, that's just between her, him and the Doctor.)

-.-

It's been a few weeks, it's time, or so he thinks, to maybe move the conversations and time spent to outside the confines of the apartment building and its roof.

So being the articulate writer that he is, he phrases it exactly like that and definitely doesn't stumble over any of the words (okay, maybe he does, but only once).

Unsurprisingly, she's confused by the statement and he thinks he could have probably waited till they were off the stairs to say it.

The roof had gotten pretty chilly in the late September winds, and after fifteen minutes they had given up and decided to head to Annabeth's apartment, which had become their second unofficial hanging out spot after The Roof™ .

Percy's beyond thankful he had decided to head to Annabeth's that night, it had really brought them closer and made it so much easier to hang out more frequently. Something about being in each other's personal spaces other than just the neutral ground of The Roof made all of this seem more real, more tangible.

And maybe that's why he's managed to say what he has. Or rather, not say it, because she still has no idea what he's talking about.

"Want to watch Doctor Who?" she asks once they've settled down on her couch again, eagerly soaking up the heat.

He kind of wants to ask again now that they aren't on a stairwell, but the conversation has moved on so maybe it's a sign. He nods.

"I'm like two episodes away from the end of season 2."

Her eyes widen at that and he takes it as a sign he's in for a rollercoaster.

So, when the episode starts he scoots just a little closer to her and hopes she's too taken with the stuff on screen to notice. Besides, they've been this close before, so it should be fine.

Gradually, throughout the episode, he gets closer and closer until by the end their shoulders are touching and she's somewhat leaning on him. His heart is racing, both from the exciting events of the season finale and their position.

It's moments like this where he feels so sure that she would say yes.

When it's time for him to leave (after drying only a few tears that had fallen during the finale), she walks him to the door. He wants to bring it up again but he really should have worked on that phrasing and he doesn't really know—

"Percy?" she asks as they stand in the doorway and he looks like a complete idiot as he tries to figure out words.

"Yeah?"

Her head is tilted to the side again, and it's just as adorable as all the other times she's done it. "What were you saying earlier?"

She's hit the nail on the head and they both know exactly what she's talking about.

"Oh, um, well." he rubs the back of his neck nervously, not meeting her eyes. "I was saying that maybe we should move the conversations and time spent together outside the confines of the apartment building and its roof."

She just stares at him. He doesn't blame her. "So what you're really saying is…" she trails off, waiting for him to finish the sentence.

"Wanna go on a date with me?"

Yeah, maybe he should have gone with that wording from the get go.

A smile overtakes her face as she shakes her face. "You're dumb."

And with that she moves to close the door but the panic in him has risen and he stops her, "Wait, so—"

"Yes, Percy. It means yes."

With a final smile she shuts the door leaving him staring at the number 2 above the peephole.

Right.

So that just happened.

She said yes! She agreed, she wants to—shit, he has a date to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did you think? More Percabeth oriented as the plot moves along! Any Doctor Who fans? It's been a minutes but I still love it!
> 
> Please Comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts!
> 
> And as always, thanks for reading!
> 
> See ya! :)


	11. The Tenth Chapter

Piper squeals when she tells her about the date and it’s exactly what Annabeth’s been feeling since she closed the door after saying yes. But she’s been playing it cool. Kinda. The squeal is immediately followed by plans of coming over beforehand to assist.

She half-heartedly protests, knowing full well she’ll want Piper’s help. “I can dress myself for a date.” 

Piper doesn’t even dignify that with a response.

True to her word, Piper shows up Friday after work and throws open the door to the closet. All Percy had said was he was going to show up at 7 and they were going to get dinner, without specifying anything else.

“You’re lucky it’s fall,” Piper says. “A nice sweater and dark jeans go a long way.”

Annabeth nods, letting Piper do most of the decision making. She’s nervous, and she has no idea why. She’s been on dates before, and she even knows Percy pretty well, so this should be easier.

But for some reason, it’s not, and it feels like a bigger deal. 

“It’s ‘cause it’s your first date as a real adult,” Piper answers the question she didn’t actually ask out loud. Piper adjusts the scarf around her neck and steps back, scrutinizing it. Annabeth stands still as she does, and hopes Piper doesn’t like it because it's getting a little too warm.

Piper tosses the scarf.

“Yeah...that could be it,” she muses, now that the scarf is off. Everything does feel different now, even the things she used to do before. School ending had completely flipped her perspective. 

Like now, she’d be starting her fall semester, which she’d always associated with beginnings. But now, _this_ is it. This is her life and school isn’t around to make it feel like a fresh start. It’s just a season, where the leaves turn pretty colors. 

Piper comes back with a different scarf, and after another moment of scrutiny, declares the outfit complete. 

Annabeth decides to not dwell on the whole fall and school and things being different because she doesn’t need to be even more nervous for this date than she already is. She follows Piper’s lead and starts talking about hair.

Luckily, she’d had the foresight to do some light makeup before Piper showed up, so she’s ready by 6:40.

“Alright, my work here is done.” Piper pushes back a strand of her caramel hair and grins.

Annabeth nods appreciatively as she looks at herself in the mirror. Piper had done an amazing job.

“Thank you so much Piper, I have no idea how I could have done this without you.” And she really is grateful. She’s been so in her own head about the whole thing that she really doesn’t know if she would’ve been ready in time.

“That’s what best friends are for!” Piper replies with a smile. “Now I’m gonna get out of your hair before Percy shows up. I want to meet him, but _now_ is not the time.”

Annabeth nods. “Yeah, don’t worry, he’s never early. I’m gonna go to the bathroom real quick.”

Piper starts to gather her things as Annabeth shuts the door to the bathroom. 

Not a minute later, the doorbell rings. 

“Um, Annabeth,” Piper calls, through the bathroom door.

“Fuck,” she curses. “Go get the door and tell him I’ll be right there.”

She hears the door open and sounds of their voices drifting through the apartment. She can feel her heart beat faster, the date all of a sudden a _reality_ , and she takes a breath in front of the mirror.

Well, Piper had to meet Percy somehow. Now that it’s happening, she might as well let it. She tries to take it slow with her lipstick and lets out another nervous breath before walking out.

When she steps out, Percy is sitting on the couch while Piper perches on the armchair. They’re chatting about something which stops when Piper notices her entrance.

Percy whips his head around to look and she won’t lie and say that his expression doesn’t bring warmth to her face and further quicken her already fast-beating heart. He stands up and walks over.

In dark jeans, and a nice button up, he looks _really_ good. There even seems to have been an attempt at taming his hair. She just wants to pull him close.

“Wow, Annabeth, you, um, you look good.” He stumbles over the words a bit, but it’s cute and she’s glad she’s not the only nervous one.

Maybe the anticipation of the date was what was getting to her, because now that she’s seen him, she feels a little bit better about the entire thing.

“Thanks, you too Percy.”

They stand there, staring at each other, for another moment until Piper cuts in.

“Well,” she says loudly, clapping her hands and startling them both. “You two have a date to go on…”

That seems to shake Percy. “Right, we should go.”

He opens the door and they step out, Annabeth taking his offered arm. 

“It was nice to meet you Piper,” Percy says to Piper who’s moved towards the door to close it after them.

Piper smiles back. “You too, Percy. Have fun you guys!” And with that she closes the door on them, giving Annabeth a look that said _don’t worry about it_.

Annabeth isn’t worried about it. Piper has the spare key and can easily let herself out. So she focuses instead on the handsome guy at her side.

-.-

Percy hopes his nerves aren’t showing.

You’d think he was sixteen by the way he was acting. It had gotten so ridiculous that the only reason he’d been so early was that Nico had gotten fed up with the fussing and second- guessing that he had thrown him out of the apartment.

He’s grateful for it now though, because at least he’s made it this far.

Made it as far as walking down the street with Annabeth beside him, chatting about her day and generally making him feel more at ease about this entire thing. She looks great, as always, and a part of him still can’t believe that he’s actually on a date with her.

His first date in forever, really. But that’s beside the point and not something he wants to think about. Because for once, the weather is cooperating and he’s walking down the street with Annabeth by his side.

They end up at the Italian place down the street because it's moderately fancy and Annabeth never had it when she was over that one time. Plus,Nico and Will are officially together now so maybe it’s good luck.

“I’ve been meaning to come to this place,” Annabeth says as they walk in. (He’s not going to lie and say that there isn’t a small sigh of relief upon hearing her say that).

“Today’s your lucky day,” he replies as he opens the door for her, grinning cheesily because that’s how he meant it, and definitely not that it was just the best he could come up with. 

“Oh, I know,” she responds, winking at him. Winking. She just winked at him. He only stumbles a _little_ bit as he follows her in. 

“You know, you should try the spaghetti,” he recommends, smiling inwardly.

-.-

By the time dinner, dessert, and drinks have ended and they’re walking back to the apartment, it’s gotten significantly colder. There’s a flush to her cheeks, a mixture of alcohol and the amount of times he’s made her laugh.

She’s pressed up close, because it's cold, obviously, and definitely _not_ because she’s wanted to be this close to him for a while now.

They chat easily as they enter the building and make their way up to the second floor, stopping at her door. 

It’s in that moment that the easy air of laughter fades, replaced with a slightly awkward and unsure tension. Percy’s rubbing the back of his neck, stammering out something about having a good time and after taking one look at his flushed face and messed-up hair (because it wasn’t going to stay put for that long), she makes up her mind.

“Want to come in?”

And with that, all her cool leaves her, and she can’t stop the blush as he readily agrees. 

She unlocks the door and immediately notices that Piper had tided up the shoes that had been strewn about from her hunting for her heels, and therefore no doubt had cleaned her room of all the clothes that she had left lying around.

She makes a mental note to buy Piper a drink to remind her just how grateful she was.

They make their way to the couch, chatting once again. They had been talking all night, and they still hadn’t run out of topics. It actually amazes Annabeth, but also leaves her with the slight worry that they actually _will_ at some point and be left staring blankly at each other. 

Of course, she’s had the best night with Percy. She figured it would be, especially since she’s spent many nights with Percy. But those had been chatting casually on The Roof as friends and not across from each other on a date.

The conversation winds down, and the awkward, unsure tension returns. 

They’re settled down pretty close together, the way they would had they been getting ready to watch Doctor Who, but it’s different.

She can feel it. And she can tell he feels it too.

Everything’s a bit more...charged. 

Percy leans closer to her and her heartrate quickens in anticipation. This is the moment she’s both looked forward to the most and been the most nervous about. 

There’s a brief moment of fear as she wonders if maybe she’s forgotten how to kiss. It’s been such a long time, after all. But she pushes it down as his green eyes get closer and she can feel his breath. 

“I’ve been meaning to kiss you,” he says softly.

Throwing her fears to the side she gives in to what she knows she wants. Mustering up some courage she twinkles at him. “Today’s your lucky day.”

He chuckles at that. “Oh, I know,” he replies, with a wink.

A second later he’s kissing her and that’s all that matters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally a date and a kiss! Now they’re getting somewhere lol. I hope you guys liked the fluffy chapter!
> 
> Please Comment! I’d love to hear your thoughts!  
> And as always, thanks for reading!  
> See ya! :)


	12. The Eleventh Chapter

Percy wonders if kissing is a thing now. He thinks it might be, but still holds back from making any kind of move to do so when she opens the door.

They’ve planned another date of sorts, which involves going to a small music cafe where Will is scheduled to play the guitar. They’re meeting up with him and Nico (who’s already there), so it’s kind of like a double date.

“Hey you,” he says in what he hopes isn’t as awkward of a tone as he imagined it because despite already going on a date with Annabeth, he remains incompetent. 

“Hey,” she responds cheerfully.

She looks great, as usual, wearing a nice green sweater that he can’t help but think she could look better without. He stops that train of thought right there.

She loops her arm through his immediately, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world (he won’t deny that he loves it) and they go outside to wait for their Uber.

They’re just chatting and catching up, but as she tells some story about work, his mind wanders to the way the streetlights glow on her face and just how pink her lips look. He knows what it’s like to be kissing them. 

He wants to be kissing them.

But they’re in the middle of the sidewalk, so he holds back and contents himself with holding her hand or, bumping knees in the car or, basically any other form of contact he can think of.

The music cafe is chill, and even though no one’s really looking, he can’t help but get giddy over the fact that he has Annabeth by his side. It’s like they’re a couple, and he’s sure anyone who would happen to look over would assume so.

Annabeth orders some drinks for them and Nico, the goth man himself, seems to appear out of the shadows directly in front of him just when he was looking away (at Annabeth).

Percy’s not proud of the sound that comes out of his mouth when he sees his roommate standing there.

“Jesus Christ, Nico!”

Nico gives him a look that says _you’ve got to be kidding me_ and Annabeth returns with the drinks at the same moment, grinning. 

“Hey Nico!” 

“Hey, Annabeth, how’s it going?” Nico replies, the two completely ignoring him as they chat. (He contents himself by sneaking an arm around Annabeth’s waist.)

“...and Percy just won’t shut up about you,” he hears Nico says as he rejoins the conversation. (Putting an arm around Annabeth took mental effort, okay.)

Percy almost chokes on his drink, shooting Nico a betrayed look. 

Annabeth pats him on the back as Nico grins. “Thanks buddy,” he chokes out.

“No problem man,” Nico replies, his tone indicating that this was not new information anyway. “I’m going to check up on Will, he’s on soon.” And with that he leaves, somehow melting into the shadows again.

“Aww, you talk about me?” Annabeth teases once he’s recovered.

Percy pouts. “Shut up.”

“Make me,” she replies with a challenge in her tone.

He takes it as a cue to lean down and kiss her.

After they part she smiles at him. “I’ve been waiting for you to do that.”

“You could have done It too,” Percy counters, but there’s no bite behind it.

“Alright then, maybe I will.”

And so she kisses him.

-.-

Annabeth tries to keep it together as the night goes on, but every shoulder brush, hand hold, or lean in is slowly killing her.

What she really wants is a nice long, deep kiss that maybe leads to something more. But they’re in public and that is not an option. Luckily, the music starts up and she’s able to distract her mind from the lack of kissing. 

She cheers when Will gets on stage and he’s a good enough performer (and guitarist) that he does manage to capture her attention. (But she’s still all too aware of Percy’s shoulders against hers and his arm around her waist).

“You were definitely one of the best of the night,” she tells him when he comes up to them later, Percy echoing her.

Will grins. “Thanks guys!”

Nico is also grinning (quite proudly actually) next to him and she can see their hands entangled. It’s honestly the cutest thing ever. 

“He was awesome,” Nico brags on his boyfriend’s behalf, and for the first time since she’s met him, she sees Will actually blush. She really is happy for them.

They order a round of drinks to celebrate, but only manage to get halfway through when Will gets carted off by another group of friends. He shoots an apologetic look their way as he and Nico are ushered away. 

Annabeth shoots a smile back and a wave, hoping he gets that that they don’t mind. At least, she doesn’t. Percy’s arm is still around her waist with his hand pressed against the curve of her hip. It’s not much, but it feels so intentional and she finds herself pushing closer to him even though she’s starting to feel hot. 

She puts down her almost-finished drink and catches him watching her, his green eyes jumping from her lips that had been touching the glass to her eyes. 

Maybe it’s the bar lighting, but there’s a tint in them that sends shivers through her body. She finds herself kissing him before she realizes. And it’s not a sweet kiss either. It’s hard and intentional and she has to restrain herself from opening her mouth any further. A slight gasp escapes her mouth as they break away.

Percy’s not much better. The hand on her waist is gripping her tightly now and he’s breathing harder than before.

“We should move this,” he mumbles against her lips and it takes all her might not to kiss him again right there. Not trusting her voice, she nods instead. 

They stumble out of the bar, drunk more on each other than the beers, and the chilly air feels like a slap to their face.

It’s a bit sobering, but it gives them all the more reason to stay as close to each other as possible for the short walk home. 

They don’t talk much, Annabeth, for her part, is lost in thought. She feels a rush, a tingle of excitement as they grab an Uber, keeping their hands intertwined and their knees brushing the entire time. It’s something she hasn’t felt in a very long time and it feels so good to be like this again.

And when Percy looks at her, like she’s all he can focus on right now, it just makes her heart beat faster, more shivers running through her body.

When they get to her door, reality hits them and they pause for the first time all night. She can’t tell what he’s thinking but she sees him hesitate, questioning eyes meeting hers. She understands the unasked question.

Pulling him to her, she backs up against her door and meets his lips halfway. He makes a sound at the force of the kiss, hands once against wrapping around her waist and holding her still. 

“You want to come in?” she breathes, breaking away for a second, because she wants more than ever to open her mouth and let him in, but they’re still in the hallway and she needs to know if he’s cool with it.

The look he gives her, eyes slightly lidded, breathing heavily, the hands around her waist trail down to her hip and pause there with purpose, is the answer she needs.

Fumbling with the lock for the first time since she’s moved in, she manages to get them both in. Almost instantly, Percy’s on her, lips meeting hers once more and she feels herself finally able to relax into them.

He moves down to her neck and she feels her breath catch.

Resting her fingers on the belt loop of his jeans, she tugs him a little closer causing him to look up at her.

Another questioning glance comes to his face. “You—”

She breaks him off with another kiss, this time opening her mouth to let him in. When they separate, she pants her answer. “Yeah.”

“We should move this?” he mumbles against her neck where he’s resumed his exploration.

All she can manage is another “Yeah.”

-.-

Percy curses a little when he wakes up the next morning to find out it’s dangerously close to the time he’s supposed to be at work. 

Sitting up, the memories of last night flood his brain and he groans when he realizes this remembrance isn’t really helping his...growing problem.

Annabeth is sprawled beside him with her blonde hair splayed behind her and a single bare shoulder peeking through the blanket, looking like heaven on Earth, and he can vividly remember what’s under the rest of the blanket.

He curses again.

As quietly as he can, he gets out of bed and searches for his clothes thrown around the room and manages to get them all on without waking her up. He grabs his already dying phone and heads to the door, hesitating when he looks back at her peaceful sleeping form.

Why did they have to do this on a Thursday night?

He strongly debates calling off work when she shifts and he catches a glimpse of her bare leg.

But he has rent and bills to pay, and he needs this paycheck to be a good one, so with the heaviest heart he quietly slips his way out of her apartment.

He’s forty-five minutes late to work, and Leo shoots him a look when he shows up disheveled and smelling strongly of the cologne he had sprayed over his change of clothes.

“Fun night huh?” Leo says lightly, trying and failing to hide a grin.

Percy curses for a third time.

-.-

Annabeth knows...is pretty sure...wants to believe...that everything is okay. But waking up to an empty bed with no texts, no follow up... the worry just set in.

And now, at 6:30pm with still no communication from Percy, the worry has grown into a mixture of anxiety, frustration and hurt. 

She swears she got over feeling insecure ages ago, but this feeling is giving it a run for its money. To combat it, she’s also mad, and her stomach feels like it dropped ages ago and never recovered.

Basically, she hates this feeling.

And then come the questions, the ones she always tries to avoid, the spiral comes back. Had she done something wrong? Did he hate her? Or—and she hated to think this--had he only wanted her for sex and now he was out?

She doesn’t want to believe that last one, but she can’t help but think it. It makes her want to call Piper a third time and she’s pretty sure she was wearing down the rug from pacing so much. Every worry she could have had about him and the situation is coming up and she despises it.

And of course, there’s the small part of her that’s mad at herself for putting out on the second date. At least it wasn’t the first, right? The thought is not comforting. 

Her thoughts are really not productive and she needs to stop, so she does the only thing she can think of. She opens her laptop and pulls up Youtube. At least that’ll help.

It does. The videos provide the mental escape she needs, and as a result she almost misses the knock on the door. She has to pause the video to make sure that she had heard correctly.

Yep, that was a knock. She feels her heart beat faster and walks to the peephole to confirm what she hopes.

Sure enough, there’s a head of black hair, and all the things she was feeling come back to hit her all at once.

Percy looks like a complete disaster when she opens the door. Hair messier than usual, clothes disheveled and eyes looking a mixture of tired and scared as he gives her a hesitant and apologetic smile.

She wants to be mad, but it all breaks down when she takes in his appearance. Wordlessly, she steps aside so he can walk in. He shuffles in looking like a kicked puppy and she feels bad for him.

And it hits her then that she could have reached out today. It didn’t all have to be on him. Clearly he just came back from work, given the button up and slacks, and clearly he’s had a rough day. She could have at least attempted to reach out to him.

He opens his mouth, probably to apologize and she cuts him off in the most effective way her tired brain can come up with. A kiss.

He’s taken aback, but he kisses her back for a moment before stepping away. It shouldn’t affect her that much, but she immediately recoils at the action, hating every part of her being for going in for a kiss. Why was she being so dumb?

He sees the retraction and pulls her closer to him.

“I just want to apologize,” he says quietly. She shakes her head. _It’s okay_ , she wants to tell him, _it’s alright_. But the words don’t leave because suddenly all the horrible things she had been thinking come back to her mind and she sees just how stupid they were.

“I could have texted you,” she manages after a beat of silence.

Because really it’s a two-way thing. Instead of driving herself crazy thinking of the worst things that could have happened, she could have taken steps to find out and resolve it.

Even though it would have been hard to do, it would have beaten the pit in her stomach she had carried all day. From the look of it, this had been weighing on him just as heavily. 

He shakes his head. “I should have texted you,” he says remorsefully. “I had to go to work and I should have let you know in the morning, but for some reason I didn’t think that in my rush to make it to work, and then my phone died, but I really should have let you know. I’m so sorry, I got here as soon as I could.”

_It’s okay_ , she wants to say, _we’re okay_. But the words once again fail to form so she cuts off his rambling by her tried and true method of shutting him up. 

With a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it! The next chapter, featuring Percabeth unable to keep their hands off each other along with some...trouble? Angst?
> 
> But what happened at the end of this chapter is a very common thing for people to feel in these situations and the important thing that Annabeth realizes at the end is that it's a two-way street. Being the first to reach out is so hard, but it's better than spiraling in what-ifs. Of course Percy was in the wrong too, but again it's the idea of communication that is so vital to any relationship.
> 
> Hope you guys liked it! Please Comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts!
> 
> And as always, thanks for reading! 
> 
> See ya! :)


	13. The Twelveth Chapter

By the time Halloween comes around, they’ve been dating for three weeks and it’s been the best three weeks he’s had in a very long time. Being able to cuddle, kiss and hang out with Annabeth feels great, and he really believes that they’ve got a good thing going. 

Until he’s hit with reality. That Annabeth is an amazing and attractive person, who knows many guys and is, technically, still single.

Not that he believes she’s seeing anyone else, or would do that to him, but…

It starts with how things usually do, him running behind. If there’s one thing Percy will never know it’s why he always waits till the very last minute to put together a Halloween costume. He loves Halloween. He likes dressing up. Those two things should add up to a level of preparedness that he just never has.

So he’s scrolling through his phone, trying to find something he can throw together as Nico plays a video game.

“You should have started earlier,” Nico says helpfully, mashing his controller as if it’ll make the shots deal more damage.

“Shut up,” Percy shoots back. “The only reason you have a costume figured out early is because of Will, otherwise you’d be right next to me.”

“Not true,” Nico counters, “I just wouldn’t dress up.”

Percy rolls his eyes. Will and Nico were the ones who had invited them to the Halloween Bar Crawl in the first place. 

“Whatever,” he responds lamely, deciding to focus his attention on his google image search.

“Why don’t you ask Annabeth?” It’s the first thing Nico’s said all night that makes sense.

She picks up on the fourth ring. “Hey?”

There’s sounds in the background and he curses under his breath because he forgot she was getting dinner with a friend today.

“Oh shit, sorry, I forgot you were out.”

“It’s okay, is everything alright?” She sounds concerned and he feels even more stupid. He glares at the back of Nico’s head.

“Yeah, just didn’t know what to be for Halloween so thought I’d ask...” he trails off, a blush coming to his cheeks even though she’s not there. 

She bursts out laughing, and even though his blush deepens, it’s the best response he could have gotten given the situation. (Also her laugh just sounds nice.)

“Wow...um well I don’t know...hey, Frank?” she says, addressing some other person.

And that’s when he realizes that she hadn’t actually specified what friend she was getting dinner with and he had just assumed it was Piper. Clearly, he was wrong.

“What are you being for Halloween?” she continues still talking to this “Frank” guy. Percy’s not jealous. He swears.

He’s just smacked into the wall of reality that Annabeth is not his girlfriend, and is totally capable of seeing and even potentially dating any other guy.

Frank responds with something he can’t hear and Annabeth speaks to him. “How about a vampire?”

She wouldn’t be so casual about speaking to Frank in front of him if she was interested and/or dating. Still, he frowns because that could be “Frank’s” costume and he doesn’t want to do that. “Isn’t that a bit basic?”

Maybe that’s a bit mean.

“Isn’t it the day before Halloween?” she counters, another laugh in her voice.

Fuck.

Nico laughs when he asks him if he has a cape. 

-.-

“So,” Percy starts, leaning against the counter.”Who’s Frank?” He says it casually enough, but when she turns from her place by the cabinet, he’s very clearly waiting for an answer.

She raises an eyebrow because it seems like he’s been wanting to ask this question for a while. Probably since that phone call from a week ago. 

“A friend,” she responds lightly, and looks over the cups she’s pulled out to gauge his reaction. 

She had wondered at the time, if the slight shift in his tone over that conversation was real or imagined. Not that she blames his curiosity, she’d be pretty curious if Percy had been talking to a girl she’d never heard of before. But only because they weren’t together.

As solid as everything seems right now, his question and tone alone show that it isn’t. It had been around four weeks, but it was still early and they didn’t have the security of a relationship to fend away thoughts or fears about losing the other to someone else.

“Oh, cool,” He nods, hand reaching into his pocket to pull out his phone out of habit.

She rolls her eyes. He’s not as smooth or subtle as he thinks. But it still makes her want to kiss him until he’s reassured.

“Why?” she asks, biting back a smile, cups forgotten.

“Oh nothing, just wondering,” he replies quickly, eyes not leaving his phone. She wonders if he’s even looking at anything.

So she simply looks at him with her eyebrow slightly raised and a half-smile until he flushes under the weight of her gaze and looks up at her. 

In two long strides, she’s crossed her tiny kitchen to where he’s standing. 

“Just wondering?” she asks when they’re inches apart. He’s gotten redder. 

“Yeah,” he stammers.

She pulls him forward until he’s crowding her against the counter, putting on hand on his chest, the other looping around his neck. “Really?”

He mumbles something unintelligible and she presses herself against him.

“What was that?” she asks again, breaking out into a grin this time.

He determinedly keeps his mouth shut but a hand sneaks up on her waist.

“Because it sounds like you're jealous,” she continues, despite his silence. 

“What, no, I—” his protests are cut short by her leg wrapping around his. 

She leans closer to him, just slightly moving her hips and he sucks in a breath. Lips ghosting over his neck, she pushes herself on her toes to whisper in his ear.

“You sure?” 

“Okay, maybe a little,” he finally admits. He looks down but avoids her eyes. She tilts his chin up so he’s forced to make eye contact.

His green eyes are blazing in a mixture of arousal and embarrassment. She shakes her head slightly and finally leans up to meet his lips.

When they pull away panting, she speaks again, hoping she’s made her point clear. “He really is _just a friend_.”

Percy responds by picking her up and carrying her to the bedroom.

-.-

The email about the “Fall Party” circulates around his work not long after, and he wonders if they meant to send it to temps. 

“You going?” he asks, turning towards Leo and jerking his head towards the screen. Leo rolls over and glances at the email before leaning back and shrugging.

“I don’t know, don’t really know anyone except you, so if you’re going…” he trails off.

“You know Calypso,” Percy teases. “And you know we’re allowed to bring a date.”

Leo’s eyes widen at the insinuation and Percy thinks he would be blushing now if his skin wasn’t so dark. 

“Yeah, well, you could bring Annabeth,” Leo retorts, still clearly off his game.

Percy shrugs. “Fine, if you bring Calypso.”

“Fine,” Leo hastens to agree, clearly distressed from the conversation. 

Percy shoots him a smug smile and Leo realizes what he’s actually just agreed too. Honestly, Percy hopes it’ll get things going between the two of them because the tension everytime she comes over is unbearable. 

He smiles when Leo blushes even harder than usual as Calypso walks by.

-.-

Piper has been planning Friendsgiving since November started, and Annabeth is highly supportive and excited because Piper’s cooking is actually amazing. So when the subject comes up once again and she demands Annabeth bring Percy, she’s not surprised at all.

“Sure,” she replies, shrugging.

“You have to bri—wait what?” Piper cuts herself off. “You will?”

Annabeth nods, taking a sip of her hot chocolate, remembering the last time she had been planning to make it with Percy and how that turned out. “Yeah.”

Piper is clearly surprised but gives an appreciative nod. “Okay, good.”

Annabeth’s not sure why she’s not all too worried about it. Maybe she should be, but things have been going good, and ever since Percy brought up Frank, they had kind of solidified that they weren’t seeing other people, so she really doesn’t think Percy is going to say no. 

She feels okay about it, about them. It’s honestly a little surprising.

Piper’s staring at her with a curious look.

“What?” Annabeth asks, taking another sip just to have something to do.

Piper shakes her head. “Nothing, I’m just proud of you.”

“Thanks, but why?”

Piper leans back. “Because you seem to be doing good with Percy, and you’re okay with asking him to come to friendsgiving even though you aren’t official. I guess I’m just proud of how far you’ve come and your level of commitment to this.”

Annabeth nods. She hadn’t thought about it that way but it’s true. Now was the most confusing part of any relationship, that gray area of dating without being official. And in the past it would have gotten to her, she’d doubt the commitment, the relationship, even herself. 

She doesn’t know why this time is different. Maybe because of Percy and the type of person he is. Maybe it’s just her growth.

“I think…I think I’ve just embraced the confusion,” she finally says.

Piper tilts her head at her inquisitively. “Really?”

“Yeah, I know it’s the exact opposite of who I am, but ever since college ended…” she trails off because this feeling of confusion isn’t new. She remembers when she was close to graduating and how worried she was about what her life was going to be like after.

What would she do? Where would she live? She had her whole life in front of her and her emotions were pulling her seven different ways. She had finally gotten through it by just embracing that she was at a stage in her life where she was supposed to be confused. She was supposed to not have it figured out.

Piper nods, because she had been there for that meltdown.

“Well, I’m glad you’re able to work through it. I’m happy for you.” Piper smiles and Annabeth can’t help but smile back. Piper, she thinks, deserves the world. 

But now that the topic had come up, she can’t stop the tiny part of her mind that brings up the worst and the worry that all this is gonna come crashing down, because accepting confusion still doesn’t cause it to go away. She pushes the thought down and focuses on Piper, who’s moved on to food and is debating between apple or pumpkin pie.

Annabeth votes apple. 

-.-

After losing an intense game of rock-paper-scissors, with Nico, Percy trudges down the stairs to the trash room. It was entirely unfair since he had taken out the trash last week but Nico had pulled rock and he really had to stop with the scissors. 

It’s cold, as expected for mid-November, and he shivers in his Star War pajamas and faded t-shirt. Trying to make the trip worth it, he figures he should also check the mail. It’s ten at night and he’s not super worried about anyone else coming in.

And if they do, well...Star Wars is cool.

Nevertheless, he’s beyond surprised when he hears his name being said.

“Percy?”

He jumps at the sound, spinning around to see a fully decked-out Annabeth with a full face of makeup who’s just entered the building.

“Hey...” He waves weakly, not expecting to see her of all people, and not expecting her to look that good.

“Hey,” she says back, stepping further into the warmth and taking off her gloves. “Nice pajamas.”

He blushes. “Star Wars is cool,” he mumbles back.

She laughs. “I never said it wasn’t.”

“How was Piper?” he asks, remembering Annabeth had gone to a coffee shop with Piper.

“Good.” She seems a little distracted. “Actually it’s good I ran into you, I need to ask you something.”

Percy nods. “Yeah, me too, actually.”

Annabeth looks taken back. “Oh, okay, you go first.”

Suddenly, he feels like he’s been put on the spot, even though he signed up for this. It’s an interesting sight, with Annabeth looking all nice and him in his ratty clothes and messy hair.

“Um…will you come to my company’s Fall Party with me?” he asks, nervous all of a sudden. His mind flashed back to the confident way he had spoken to Leo about it. That’s definitely not how he feels now.

“Oh, uh,” her eyes widen a little, “yeah, okay.” She shoots him a small smile.

“Cool, so um, you had something you wanted to ask?” he prompts, trying to move on from his not smoothness. 

Annabeth nods. “Yeah, um...will you come to Piper’s Friendsgiving?”

It’s his turn to be taken back. He was not expecting this. It feels like a big step, him meeting more of her friends and Piper, again. 

He nods, glad and nervous all at once. “Yeah, of course! When is it?”

She smiles, appearing relieved at his answer. “Next Friday.”

He stares at her. “Oh.”

She gives him a confused look. “What? Why—oh wait, is that when—“she cuts herself off.

He nods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it! So this one focuses more on their relationship. Something I think that fanfics can occasionally overlook is the in-between of actively dating someone and being in an official relationship. It’s something that’s very prevalent in real life and I wanted to bring it up in this chapter as the next course of natural progression. 
> 
> I’ve made this fic as realistic as possible just to kind of show what life can be like in your early to mid twenties and I hope you guys are enjoying the ride so far! I’d love to hear if any of you have experienced any of these things before! But anyway, just a little relationship check-in chapter!
> 
> Please Comment! I’d love to hear your thoughts!  
> And as always, thanks for reading!  
> See ya! :)


	14. The Thirteenth Chapter

Checking her outfit for the fifth time, she can  _ hear _ Piper’s voice in her head telling her a sweater dress with tights is definitely adequate for a work event and to  _ stop messing with her hair! _

She’s still nervous, though, and for some reason this work event feels more like a commitment than any of the things they’ve done in the past three months or so. Probably because you don’t introduce just anyone to your coworkers, even if you are just a temp.

That had actually been a reason they decided to fit both events instead of just Piper’s Friendsgiving. Percy had been more than willing to drop the event, but it’s a good networking opportunity and maybe he’ll be able to land a more permanent job if he shows interest. 

Forcing her hand away from her hair, she stalks towards the living room to anxiously pace because, of course, she’s ready early. Her mind brings forth all kinds of things, like how at some point he’s going to have to introduce her to someone and they have  _ definitely _ not talked about defining the relationship. 

Her leg bounces nervously now that that can of worms has been opened so naturally, she does the first thing she can think of, which is pull up Youtube. 

And for the second time, she almost misses his knock because of the video, and for a second time it’s managed to calm her down.

“You really do watch a lot of Youtube,” is the third thing he says after, “You look beautiful,” and “Ready to go?”

She shrugs, unashamed. “Youtube is cool,” she quotes him.

Percy laughs. “I never said it wasn’t.”

“It’s a good stress reliever for me.”

He looks at her sideways. “You’re stressed?”

Well, this wasn’t something she’d been planning on letting slip. She shrugs and tries to play it cool. “Well, we are going to your work party.”

He nods. “Yeah, but don’t worry, it’ll be fine. Plus, we’ll be out of there soon and on our way to Piper’s.”

“Yeah,” she agrees. The thought of seeing Piper puts her at ease. That and the feel of Percy’s arm around her along with the familiar scent of his ocean-scented cologne makes her heart beat in a different kind of way.

A ten minute Uber ride with Percy’s hand in hers and she’s pretty calm as they arrive at the venue. There are a good number of people already there, most of whom fortunately don’t spare a second glance at them.

She grips Percy’s arm as they weave through the crowd and towards one of the tables, where a guy with curly hair is grinning at their approach.

“Percy!” he cheers, standing up to give him one of those half-bro-hugs that Annabeth’s never really understood, as a girl with long caramel colored hair materializes next to them. 

“Hey Leo! Hey Calypso!” Percy responds, smiling back. So this was Leo, the other temp and Percy’s work best friend. She appraises his wide smile and mischievous eyes and thinks Percy has good taste.

“Oh please Percy, call me Cali,” the girl refutes, shooting him a charming smile.

Annabeth holds back a smile of her own at Leo’s little pout at the action and the replacing grin when Cali grabs his hand. She shoots Annabeth a look as she does and they share a small smile.

She likes this girl.

“This is Annabeth,” Percy finally introduces and she lifts her hand up in a small wave.

“Annabeth? The one and only? It’s so nice to finally meet you!” Leo declares dramatically, shaking her hand.

She laughs at his antics. “You too.”

“What? Does Percy talk about me?” he asks with comically wide eyes. She glimpses the hint of mischief she had caught earlier in them. 

She smiles conspiratorially. “Oh yeah, he says you're his work best friend.”

“Aww, Percy! You care man!” Leo fake sniffles, but the smile is genuine. 

“Whatever dude,” Percy grumbles, but even he can’t keep the smile off his face.

She shares another look with Cali and they both roll their eyes.

“You’re cool Annabeth,” Leo says. “No wonder Percy doesn’t shut up about you.”

She can’t deny the words bring a warmth to her heart, but she plays it cool, raising an eyebrow. “Percy doesn’t shut up about me?”

Percy groans and hides his face in his hands. “Leo…”

Leo’s grin, however, just widens. “Oh yeah, it’s always Annabeth this or Annabeth that, like a proper lovesick puppy when you text him.”

“Leo, I take back everything, you suck,” Percy mutters from under his hands.

It might be embarrassing for Percy, but she finds it extremely sweet and slowly pries his hands away, pecking him on the cheek. “You’re sweet,” she whispers, and it seems to help his mood.

Cali tactfully brings up the topic of refreshments and the four make their way to the table filled with drinks and various appetizers, including some scone thing that Annabeth immediately takes a liking to. 

They return to their table, chatting happily, with only a few interruptions from some people calling for Cali, a full time employee and evidently well known.

“Mary,” Cali says, sitting down after smiling at some woman who had just left, “in accounting, hates me.”

The stories that follow the people are equally entertaining, and from the looks of it, Percy and Leo are learning as much about some of these people as she is. 

“It’s because she tried to tell me I was wrong on three seperate occasions and I turned out to be right.”

“It’s cause you’re perfect,” Leo adds with a lovesick grin of his own.

Percy doesn’t even bother to hide his snickers. “Well, on that note, Annabeth and I have to get going.”

And with a final parting wave to the other couple, they weave once again through the crowd and towards the exit. 

Percy nudges her slightly and stands a little straighter as they slow down enough to be stopped by a portly man in a blue suit, who Annabeth immediately assumes is Percy’s boss.

“Hello Percy,” the man says with a smile. “How are you enjoying the party?”

“Hello Mike, it’s really good,” Percy responds. “Unfortunately, we have another event, but we wanted to stop by here first.”

His boss’s attention moves to her. “Ah, and who’s this young lady?”

Finally the question she’s been worried about has been asked. And by his boss, no less. 

She realizes then that Percy is just now understanding the predicament of bringing her to a work event. and despite her nervousness, mentally facepalms at his lack of forethought.

“My girlfriend, Annabeth,” he blurts out.

His boss nods, shaking her hand. “Nice to meet you Annabeth, I’d get my wife, but she seems to have disappeared towards the drinks.”

“No problem, we have to get going anyway,” Percy responds, and with a quick goodbye, he practically drags her out.

While she’s not complaining, finally away from the awkward conversation, she’s still buzzing a little from his word choice. She’s not going to lie and say it didn’t feel good to hear. 

He visibly lets out a breath when they’ve made it outside and she pulls out her phone to get them an Uber to Piper’s. 

She’s shaking just a little from excitement and hope, and it’s not till after she confirms the driver is two minutes away does she turn towards him again.

“Girlfriend?”

-.-

Percy’s expecting the question and yet still doesn’t have a good way of answering it when it leaves her mouth. 

She’s looking at him with an unreadable expression, and he wonders if it’s his imagination that picks up on a hopeful tone. 

Well, this conversation was bound to happen. Everything was leading up to it, and though he hadn’t really expected it to go down like this, at least it finally happened. He takes a deep breath. What the hell.

“Yeah, if that’s okay with you?” He wants to give her a choice, make sure she knows there’s no pressure or obligation, a route that just adds to his nervousness.

Luckily, after a moment, her face breaks out into a smile and she nods. “Yeah, that’s okay with me.”

And even though things have been going well and the answer isn’t all that surprising, he’s still filled with relief at her words. He lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, feeling a weight he didn’t realize he had, lift. 

She wants to be his girlfriend. She  _ is _ his girlfriend. The thought makes him giddy, and looking down, he sees a similar expression mirrored on her face.

Before either of them can say anything more, the Uber arrives.

She holds his hand during the ride, and all of a sudden it’s his turn to be anxious, because it’s become all too real that they’re going to Piper’s. They’re going to his girlfriend’s best friend’s place.

This is a big deal. Evidently, it’s the night for big deals.

Annabeth notices the shift in his attitude and shoots him a look. “What’s up?”

“I think I get how you felt earlier,” he says, remembering what she had told him when he had picked her up.

“Don’t worry, Piper already likes you,” she reassures, getting straight to the point. “And everyone else is really nice. 

She considers for a moment “Well Drew, Piper’s half sister, can be a bit of a diva but other than that, everyone’s nice.”

He nods, wondering if she’s noticed just how sweaty his hands are and appreciates that, despite that, she continues to hold on.

Her reassurances help a little but he can’t shake the feeling. Annabeth, noticing this, scoots a little closer, her warmth feels nice amidst the cold. 

“Hey,” she starts out softly, “don’t worry about it, they’ll just be glad to finally meet my boyfriend.”

It’s new enough that the word doesn’t fail to bring a grin to his face. 

He squeezes her hand back.

-.-

All they do is enter hand in hand and Piper somehow immediately picks up on the fact that something is different.

Before even letting them through the door, she narrows her eyes at Annabeth until she finally sighs and holds up their intertwined hands. 

Piper breaks out into a smile. “I knew it!” she squeals, giving Annabeth a hug.

“I have no idea how,” Percy speaks up. “It’s impressive.”

Piper shakes her head at him. “She’s my best friend,” she replies, as if that explains everything. “And it’s also just a talent.”

Annabeth interrupts the dialogue unceremoniously, announcing she’s cold and Piper finally ushers them in.

The room is packed with people and there’s an amazing smell wafting through the entire place, making his mouth water.

Being a smaller gathering, quite a few people notice them and walk up to Annabeth and he finds himself nodding and smiling at a few of her friends, focusing mostly on sticking to her side.

Luckily, she’s looped her arm through his, so he can’t actually lose her, and after excusing them from a conversation he’s not at all been keeping track of, she leads him towards the table at the edge.

More appetizers fill the plates, though these look infinitely more appealing than the ones at the Fall Party.

Annabeth hands him a mini quiche and he can barely contain the groan as he takes a bite.

“Piper is an amazing cook,” Annabeth explains, and he can’t help but agree as he finishes the entire thing in the next bite and picks up another.

“Piper is  _ amazing _ ,” Piper interrupts, appearing out of nowhere. “Well?” she asks, looking expectantly at his feedback on the food.

Percy’s mouth is full of the best biscuit thing he’s ever had. He lets out some sound that isn’t dignified or attractive or even English in any way, but Piper seems to accept it. With a satisfied smile, she turns her attention to Annabeth.

“Did you see Drew’s date?” she asks in a hushed voice.

Annabeth nods. “Why did you even invite her?”

“I had to be polite.”

Annabeth frowns. “You’re too nice.”

“It has been said,” Piper says dramatically. “Also Percy, remember to breathe.”

He realizes he’s been inhaling the biscuits instead of the air and slows down with a tint to his cheeks, nodding at Piper, who looks amused. 

Right then, some girl approaches Annabeth, and suddenly his newfound girlfriend is whisked away, leaving him with a plate of biscuits and an amused Piper.

“Save some room for the actual food.”

“Oh god, I’m going to die,” he responds thinking that if the appetizers are this great, then the food would surely be astronomical. 

“Don’t,” Piper says in a tone somewhere between joking and serious. “You just started a relationship with my best friend, dying isn’t allowed.”

“Alright then, I’ll just take dying off the agenda,” he jokes back nervously, hoping the answer is acceptable.

Though he had met Piper on his very first date, things are different now that he is Annabeth’s boyfriend, he knows this much at least.

He falters a little under her scrutiny and wishes Annabeth was back by his side.

Piper nods approvingly. “Good. You’re doing great so far.”

“Are you going to threaten to kill me if I hurt Annabeth or something?” he jokes again, since it worked last time (though he’s pretty sure it’s doing little to hide his nerves). 

“I don’t need to threaten,” she says in a dead calm voice, which is ten times more threatening than a threat.

Annabeth, it seems, has chosen her friends wisely. But she’s also chosen a boyfriend wisely, in his opinion.

“You don’t,” he agrees, “Because I’m not trying to hurt her.”

He hopes his tone conveys the truth behind the words, and Piper stares at him for a moment before she breaks out into a smile. 

“Do you like pie?” she asks, and he takes this to mean he’s in the clear.

By the time Annabeth finally returns, a little rustled from her abrupt kidnapping, Piper and Percy are in an intense discussion about apple vs. pumpkin pie.

They both agree that apple is better.

Annabeth squeezes his hand and he shoots her a smile because, of course, she was right. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it! So much happened, the biggest obviously being the start of their relationship, officially! Again, I’m trying to make this story feel real and I think that the double events, jam packed night and work events could definitely lead to some DTR lol
> 
> Hope you guys liked it! Please Comment! I’d love to hear your thoughts!  
> And as always, thanks for reading!  
> See ya! :)


	15. The Fourteenth Chapter

In a lot of ways, officially being in a relationship doesn't really change things all that much. They still hang out, kiss and go on dates.

But in other ways, it changes everything.

Like the first time he calls her "babe", only a few days later, and she freezes. She's in the middle of pouring out a glass of water when he calls out.

"Hey babe, can you get me some water too?"

It's such a small thing, a simple request (for a glass of water) of all things but she can't help but stop in her tracks, a warm blush overtaking her face. He hasn't even looked up from his phone, the word slipping out of his mouth so naturally that it makes her feel giddy.

The smile still hasn't left her face as she brings an extra glass for her boyfriend, who looks up at her gratefully and kisses her for her troubles.

She surprises him too, not long after, by making him breakfast. She's not that great of a cook (breakfast has been Percy's forte so far) but she knows her way around an omelet.

His surprise is instantly apparent at the sharp intake of breath she hears as he walks into the kitchen and almost trips over a chair at the sight.

Well, the sight includes more than just the food, so it might have something to do with that. (He tells her immediately to keep the shirt).

It continues like that, in small ways. Some nights, he brings takeout and flowers and she digs out an old vase as he grabs plates. And it's so domestic that a month later, she finds him so integrated into her life that she's forgotten a time where he didn't have a drawer in her room and his picture didn't decorate her lockscreen.

It's actually kind of insane, she thinks over coffee one morning before work. Just how quickly life can change. It had only been a few months ago that she had explored her way to the roof of her building, but it seems like eons now.

Even just the concept of warmth and summer feels so far away as December rolls around. It's all so different now. Her life is so different now. But in the best way she could have hoped for.

There's still a tiny part of her brain, nagging her with the fear that all this will come crashing down, but it's easy to ignore when Percy's name lights up her screen with a "Have a good day at work!"

She smiles at her phone for a second longer than she probably should before putting on a Youtube video to be the background for the rest of the morning.

She feels good.

And she continues to feel good until Percy shuffles through her apartment door, nervous enough to arouse suspicion, and drops a bombshell on her.

"So, um... my mom wants to meet you," he starts, watching her closely for her reaction.

Her surprise and concern must be evident because he hastily rushes to continue. "It's not a big deal, just like lunch or something."

It's dangerously close to the holiday season and she's been wondering how they're going to navigate around that, because it's much too soon to see each other's families for Christmas.

She nods slowly, steeling herself, because this is something she has to do at some point. It's what being in a relationship entails, so even though she's anxious, she'll go through with it.

"Okay, yeah, good, it'll be really chill—how's lunch this Saturday?" He's speaking a little quickly because he's nervous too, and she can't tell if it's because of her reaction or what he thinks his mom's reaction will be.

Annabeth learned early on that Percy adored his mother and went through some rough patches in his childhood with her. From what she had heard, Sally Jackson seems like a thoroughly nice woman, but what if she hated her son's girlfriend?

She flashes back to Thanksgiving with her family, where she'd casually mentioned a boyfriend, and how her stepmother had expressed a polite interest about meeting him.

So many thoughts are running through her head that she doesn't realize that she hasn't actually given an answer to Percy until he asks a tentative, "Annabeth?"

Saturday, right, it's far away enough from Christmas and it's probably fine and Percy's mom probably won't hate her but if she did Percy would probably break up with her and she'd lose what was probably her best chance at love and—

She nods again.

Percy smiles wide, squeezing her hand. "Great! She's gonna love you."

Annabeth sincerely hopes so.

-.-

Percy's excited to go home. He normally stops by every two weeks or so, but ever since he started dating Annabeth, things have gotten a bit busy. And from the long phone conversation he had with his mom a week ago, he has a feeling she's just as excited for him to come home as he is.

Mostly because of Annabeth.

When his mother had met Paul, it was like a weight had been lifted. She was finally happy after so many years of struggle and abuse from that disgusting creature he refused to think about. And then they had Lily, and his little family had grown.

Annabeth was simply the next addition. In a manner of speaking, that is. Regardless, he knew they would love her. If only she knew that.

She's been fidgeting with the pop socket on her phone the entire Uber ride there, and he remembers how he felt on that night not so long ago, in the back of an Uber going to meet her best friend. Piper, he's figured out, is more of a family than Annabeth's actual family, who seem nice but distant.

"It'll be okay," he whispers, clutching her hand not unlike she had held his that night.

She bites her bottom lip and nods and he wishes he could lean in and kiss her until she forgets what being nervous is.

He knows her worries will be alleviated as soon as she meets them. And he's sure he's right when his mom opens the door with a smile and pulls them both in for a warm hug.

Percy almost laughs at Annabeth's face at the action.

"And you must be Annabeth! Come in, honey, I've got a fresh batch of cookies coming out any minute now." His mother ushers them both in, talking a mile a minute with Annabeth.

"How are you dear? You can leave your coat here—by the way, that's a lovely shade of blue on your hat."

Paul approaches them with a smile and drinks and soon, Annabeth looks positively blown away by the reception.

And of course, everything takes a turn when Lily, screeching at the sight of Percy, runs up to give her half-brother a hug and demands to know who the pretty blonde girl is.

"This is my girlfriend Annabeth," he introduces, lifting Lily up. Annabeth does an extremely adorable tentative wave at the six year old while Lily reaches out towards her hair.

"Girlfriend? Is she a princess?"

And from there on out, all it takes is Annabeth braiding her hair once for her to quickly overtake him in Lily's list of favorite people.

He makes a point to gloat about how he's right when they get back.

"Told you it'd be great!"

She just nods, the surprised look from the moment his mother had opened the door not completely gone.

"Hey, what's up?" he asks, nudging her slightly, starting to get a little worried about her lack of reaction.

She shakes her head. "Nothing. It was good, you were right."

He frowns at the words. "Okay, something is definitely up if you're admitting I'm right," he teases cautiously.

She shakes her head again, leaning back onto the couch. "No, it was good. Really good. I've just never seen something like that before. My family..." she trails off. "We're just not like that."

And strangely enough, he gets it. Sure, his mom has always been a source of comfort but his family life with his stepfather was…

He pulls her closer and she rests her head against his chest. "I...well, I'm not going to pretend to know what your situation is like, but my family wasn't always like this. My old stepfather was an abusive asshole and we really struggled. It only became this good after she met Paul. It's because of all that shit we got close."

He feels the resentment and anger rise up again. He hadn't thought about _him_ in a long time and it never failed to make him angry.

Maybe she feels the shift, because she separates from him to look him in the eye.

"Well, you have a great family now," she says softly, taking his hand in hers. "Thank you for inviting me to meet them."

He nods, a surge of emotion preventing him from speaking, because it really had been so good to see all the people he cared about together. Annabeth had fit in perfectly with his family, and it wasn't a stretch to get a glimpse of a future together.

"Yeah," he says slowly, shifting the mood to something more playful. "Told you they'd like you."

Annabeth kisses the smirk off his face.

-.-

Buying a Christmas gift for your boyfriend is hard. Buying the first Christmas gift for your boyfriend is even harder.

She stares helplessly at the men's section while Piper peruses the nearby purses.

"What about this?" she asks, holding up a tan purse and shaking it in her face. Annabeth shakes her head fondly, a single eyebrow raised.

"You already have a purse similar to that Piper," she responds, turning back to the men's section.

"Not for me, for my mom," Piper clarifies and Annabeth immediately turns back around. Knowing that Piper isn't exactly close to her mother and doesn't even see her that often, she makes an effort to really look at the purse.

"Does it come in black?" she asks finally. Piper pulls it out from behind her like magic and Annabeth nods appreciatively.

"Yeah, that's good," she declares. Piper stares at it for a moment longer, obviously still hesitating, and Annabeth can't blame her. Piper's mom is really picky. She turns back towards the men's section and thinks that Percy probably isn't that picky. Probably.

"Why is it so complicated?" she huffs out loud.

"Get him a tie," Piper says from her spot.

It's the best idea she's heard so far, so she flags down a sales associate to ask him about the ties.

"Excuse me," she calls to a blonde-haired guy around her age, arranging some shirts.

He turns around and she's struck by how blue his eyes are. "Yes?"

"Hi, um, where are the ties?" Despite it being their job to assist people, she always feels bad about asking for assistance.

"Oh, they're in the back, a little hidden away. Let me show you," he says with a smile and starts to lead her.

"Okay, cool, let me tell my friend real quick," she says as he starts to walk away. "Hey Piper!"

Piper looks up and she gestures that she's going to be walking away, and is about to turn around to follow the guy when Piper drops the purses and comes to her instead.

"Hi," she says a little breathlessly to the guy. He stares back at her.

Turning to Annabeth she needlessly explains. "I should get a tie for my dad."

Annabeth's almost insulted at the poor excuse, as if she can't tell when her best friend finds someone extremely attractive, but lets it slide for the amount of times the two look at each other on the short walk to the ties.

Fifteen minutes later, Annabeth walks away with a royal blue tie and Piper walks away with a number.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it! Some fluffy established relationship Percabeth featuring introspection and opening up and Piper getting a mans because she deserves it! 
> 
> I hope you guys liked it! Please Comment! I’d love to hear your thoughts!  
> And as always, thanks for reading!  
> See ya! :)


	16. The Fifteenth Chapter

Time always feels weird around this time of year. That odd week after Christmas and before New Years where time doesn't quite feel real and it's hard to tell what day or dimension it is.

Percy blames this strange feeling of disconnectedness on that. It feels like time has just skipped from one holiday to the next and everything in between has just been a blur of blonde hair, kisses, and Oreos.

Maybe it's because Nico's halfway across the country and the emptiness of the apartment makes it feel like, for the first time since September, things are slowing down. He's overcome with a feeling of exhaustion, as if time itself is catching up to him.

It's times like this, when his mind gets too messy and he feels detached from the world, that he picks up his pen or grabs his laptop to write and— he can't remember the last time he wrote anything.

It's like a slap in the face, and suddenly, the feeling of a thread unraveling makes so much sense. How had he let himself get to this state?

He starts to pace, frantically trying to recall the past few months and what's been happening in his life. Work, Annabeth, hanging out with Nico, Annabeth, seeing his family, and going out with Annabeth.

She really has made a place in his life, the thought brings a smile to his face. In fact, Annabeth's place in his life is even better than he could have ever hoped for.

But the moment of respite doesn't last long. His fingers still itch for a pen, pencil, keyboard, anything. His mind is still just as messy. The urge to write is strong and yet, there's an opposing force that tells him there's just _too much_ and he won't be able to get anything down.

Torn in two pieces, fighting the side of him that's starting to feel hopeless as he digs around to even _find_ his notebook, he tells himself it's not true.

He can do it, he _needs_ to write. And, he snipes at the stubborn voice in the back of his head, he has _not_ forgotten how.

The last entry is dated from September, and his mind gets even messier as if making up for lost time. He supposes it's because he's been spending the time living his life instead of, for lack of a better phrase, documenting it. Most people would be happy with that, and it's not that he isn't grateful.

But he's a writer at heart, and he needs his time away from the world so he can immortalize it with words that could never do it justice.

His mind tugs at him, wanting to capture everything, the beauty, the horror, the complexities, everything that makes up the human experience, what we call life.

He picks up his pen and starts to write.

-.-

Annabeth is a little concerned when her boyfriend doesn't show up after his usual ten minute lateness and checks her phone for any updates. There are none.

Five more minutes go by and she feels herself get restless. It wouldn't normally be as concerning but she already has a twinge of nervousness since they're supposed to do a late Christmas gift exchange and one of her presents is a little...different.

Five more minutes, no new texts, and she's worried now. Taking a deep breath, she tells herself, _no big deal, just send him a text._

She does and another five minutes go by before she stands up from her position on the couch and sends another one.

Now it's just concern. It's been almost a half hour and no word from him about what's going on. She even scrolls through their text conversation from earlier to confirm that it's the correct time and day.

The anxiety grows and she knows she needs to do _something_ , so she calls him. It rings through to voicemail.

Her mind decides to jump to all the horrible things that could have happened—what if he's hurt, or lost or—

Breathe. She takes a breath and tries to reason that, most likely, he had fallen asleep or something. She nods to herself, confirming her theory. That's probably it. He had meant to take a small nap but had overslept.

It takes another five minutes, but she's calm again.

But then all the other emotions flood in. The hurt at being forgotten about (not on purpose, she reminds herself) but it doesn't soften it, and then the brief anger that flares for a second before turning into sadness because she _misses_ him.

She realizes then just how prominent he is in her life. They haven't seen each other in four days, which is honestly not that bad at all, but she's spent the past two with her family, and as always, it's been…a lot.

This Christmas hadn't been as bad as others, but after meeting Percy's family, the difference was so stark that it had truly made her feel even more off. Leave it to Percy to worm his way into places he wasn't even at.

Her phone buzzes, and she grabs it immediately, so sure it's him.

It's Frank wishing her a belated Merry Christmas. As much as she likes Frank, she wishes it had been Percy. Speaking of, it's been 45 minutes and no update from him.

She shivers in the stupid lacy red lingerie she had bought for the occasion, and the anger and hurt return so quickly, she finds herself blinking back tears, because suddenly this feels all too much like being abandoned...again.

She swears she's over all that shit from the past, over Luke and her friends and all those people who had left her. She's fine now, she's _better_ now. She has people who will never leave, like Piper and Frank who've stayed past the end of college.

But in that moment, in the cold and anticipation, the hurt just feels stronger. She blinks back more tears and wraps a blanket tightly around herself.

She gets out her laptop and opens up the one thing that had helped her before.

She blinks her way through a Youtube video.

-.-

By the time Percy finally puts his pen down, his hand is cramped, but his mind feels as clear as the night sky before him.

He lets out a deep breath, exhausted but satisfied in a way he hasn't felt in a long time.

It isn't till he picks up his phone does he realize he's an hour and fifteen minutes late to see Annabeth.

Adrenaline and fifteen different curse words course through his mind as he runs out of his apartment. He's at her door in less than a minute, knocking furiously.

The door opens to a sober Annabeth wrapped in a fluffy blanket. He didn't know it was possible to feel worse than he already does, but the sight of her slightly smudged makeup and tired look makes his heart drop even further.

"Oh my god Annabeth," he says, moving towards her. "I'm so sorry." He stops himself before he actually touches her and she doesn't say anything, silently letting him in.

He gets a sense of déjà vu as he remembers how he rushed to her door after work a couple months ago after leaving her in bed the morning after.

"I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to lose track of time like that I—" she cuts him off.

"It's okay," she says in a low voice. "It happens."

He winces at the words. Her resignation hurts more than anger would have and he actually hates himself.

Slowly, he approaches her, leaning down, and stopping an inch before their lips touch. He doesn't know if it's okay to do this, but he just needs to apologize and ironically, words are failing him. She lets out a small breath and he takes the chance, cupping her face and closing the gap.

She responds to the kiss and he feels a part of him sigh in relief. He tugs her closer, deepening it for another second before pulling away.

"I am really sorry," he whispers.

"What happened?" she asks quietly.

"I,um...I got caught up in my writing…" He shoots her an apologetic look.

The answer seems to surprise her and she leans back a little, looking curious. "Oh, how'd it go?"

He starts rambling as they head towards the couch. "Good, actually really good. I haven't written since September and I just had a lot to get out. My mind gets all messy if I don't write for a while and it got to be _too much_ earlier that I just _had_ to write so I sat down and started and completely lost track of time and probably developed arthritis."

He forces his mouth to close as she takes in what he just said. Nodding, she lets out a sigh. "It's okay. I can't be upset about you taking the time to do something you love." A hard look enters her eyes as she adds, "I'm not going to be that girlfriend."

She says it as if she's proving something to someone, maybe herself, but he knows she's not like that.

He takes her hand, running his thumb over her knuckles. "I appreciate that, but if I committed to a time, I should have been more aware and stuck to it." He knows what it's like to be on the receiving end of someone forgetting about commitments. It's hard not to take it personally.

She smiles for the first time and he thinks he can finally breathe again. "It's okay, Percy. We all make mistakes." She nods towards the mini tree she had set in the corner of her apartment, a lone gift underneath it. "Why don't you open your gift."

For the second time, he curses. "I forgot yours at my place in my rush to get here!"

She rolls her eyes. "It's fine Percy, give it to me later, now open yours!"

He can't help but smile at the look on her face and obliges by walking to the tree and getting his present. It's perfectly wrapped and he feels a bit bad for ripping through it and opening the box to reveal a silky smooth tie in his favorite shade of blue.

And even though it's just a tie, he can tell it's a good quality and the color is so on point. He looks up to see Annabeth eyeing him expectantly with a hint of nervousness.

He immediately leans in and kisses it off her face. "It's great, thank you Annabeth." He whispers when they pull apart.

She smiles. "I'm glad you like it. I know it's a bit basic, but—"

He kisses her again and feels the familiar tug in his gut as he pulls her even close. He runs his tongue over bottom lip, asking for permission, because has it really been five days since he had been able to kiss her?

Instead of letting him in, she pulls away, leaving the both of them panting and Percy extremely worried that something was up.

"There's more," Annabeth explains, biting her lower lip. "To your present, I mean."

It's the third curveball of the day and he shakes his head. "What? Annabeth you didn't have to—"

His words cut off when she drops her blanket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it! Some healthy conflict resolution feat. An accurate portrayal of being a writer. Also the part of established relationship that sometimes doesn't get documented in fics. (I've tried to make this fic feel as real as possible)
> 
> I hope you guys liked it! Please Comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts!
> 
> And as always, thanks for reading!
> 
> See ya! :)


	17. The Sixteenth Chapter

Annabeth is  _ so _ ready for the new year. As fun as this year has been, she’s ready to take on new adventures and start fresh. Or maybe it’s just because this is the first real party she’s throwing since moving into her own apartment. 

Speaking of said party, she’s got an hour to go, but Percy and Piper are already there, supposedly to “help” her put the finishing touches on everything. As it is, though, the two have made themselves comfortable on the couch and armchair and are engaged in an animated discussion about whales or something. She doesn’t really know.

She shakes her head from her place at the kitchen, checking to make sure the appetizers and snacks are ready to go. As she plates them, however, she can’t help but be glad that the two of them get along despite not having many things in common. She doesn’t really know what would have happened if they didn’t.

She smiles at the two most important people in her life currently. Beyond approving of her boyfriend, it seems that Piper has found her own someone. She remembers the conversation they had not that long ago.

_ Piper has been checking her phone every minute or so and Annabeth can’t find it in her to be upset about it. This must’ve been what she was like when she first found Percy.  _

_ Overall, she’s more than happy for her best friend who’s done nothing but support her through everything.  _

_ “What’s he saying?” she asks, amused, as Piper checks her phone again. _

_ Shooting her an embarrassed smile, Piper apologizes, “I’m sorry.” _

_ She waves it away. “It’s fine. Now tell me, what’s going on?” She leans forward. _

_ Piper shrugs. “Well he’s obviously flirting now, and I think trying to ask me out on another date?” _

_ Annabeth rolls her eyes. “Of course he is, if he stumbled over ties when he first saw you and stuttered through the first ten minutes of your first date, he’s in deep. “ _

_ Piper smiles again and Annabeth imagines that this would be the moment she would blush if her skin didn’t hide it so well. _

_ “Should I invite him to our New Year’s Party?” she asks hesitantly. _

_ Annabeth laughs because even though it’s technically her New Year's party, Piper isn’t remotely wrong in claiming ownership. _

_ “And put him out of his misery? Let him struggle on that date first.” _

_ Piper laughs along. _

_ (But they both decide to help the poor guy out and send an invitation.)  _

Shaking out of her reminiscence, she grabs a bottle of wine and some snacks and walks them to the coffee table.

Their talk has turned to the semantics of Finding Nemo and she rolls her eyes again.

“Would you like more wine?” she asks sarcastically, breaking up their conversation and moving towards the couch. 

Piper shoots her a wide grin and holds out her nearly empty glass, the little shit. Percy, on the other hand, has the sense to look a little more apologetic and asks if she needs help with anything.

“Kiss up,” Piper grumbles at him when he stands up. 

“I actually get those if I help,” Percy replies as Piper makes a face. Annabeth decides to pull him in for a kiss just to prove a point.

“Gross!” Piper squeals in the background but when she pulls away and turns to her best friend, she’s smiling.

“You guys suck,” she says with a fake pout and stands up to help out.

-.-

Jason’s the first guest to arrive, either because he’s punctual or he really wants to see Piper. 

Percy guesses it’s the latter from the stories he’s heard and watches as Annabeth greets him with a smile and a very not subtle analyzing stare. “Hey! It’s good to see you again!”

“You too,” he replies politely. “Thanks for inviting me.” He looks a little nervous and Percy knows he wasn't the only one to notice her assessment. 

Annabeth nods and gestures towards him. “This is my boyfriend, Percy.” Jason smiles and holds out a hand, still somewhat nervous. 

Percy shakes it and shoots him a thumbs up from behind Annabeth’s back. It brings a smile to his face and Percy feels like he’s done his part in helping the guy relax a bit. 

But then Piper shows up and it’s so clear the guy is gone on her. Percy doesn’t stop the smile that appears on his own face—he’s pretty sure he probably looks at Annabeth the same way.

Will and Nico show up soon after ,and in no time at all, the party’s in full swing. Percy mostly sticks by Nico and Will unless Annabeth pulls him away for an introduction. Beyond Nico, Will, Jason and Piper, three of her friends from college are there and two have dates. 

Annabeth’s a flurry of movement, going from person to person, catching up, offering drinks or food and generally being a perfect hostess. But as impressive as it is, he wants her by his side again. He knows it’s a selfish wish, since he sees her all the time and these people don’t, but he can’t help it.

“She’s a good hostess,” Will comments, seeing Percy watch her.

Percy nods. “Yeah…”

Will smiles and pats him on the back. “Don’t worry, she hasn’t forgotten about you.”

Percy can’t stop his face from heating up because Will’s nailed it. Seeing her with all these other friends reminds him of the part of her life that he wasn’t a part of. He looks away from her and towards the food where Jason’s awkwardly standing around while Piper is whisked away. 

“Jason!” Percy waves him over and a look of relief washes over the guys face as he walks over.

“Piper go missing?” he asks, handing him a drink.

Jason nods and gratefully accepts the beer. “Yeah, some girls showed up and she was gone before I could blink.”

“You know man, it takes guts to show up to a party where you don’t know anyone else besides the girl you’re dating,” Percy says. 

Nico nods alongside him. “Yeah, it’s impressive.”

Jason flushes under their gaze. “I...I really like her.”

Will laughs. “We can tell dude, but she really likes you too, going by the way she looks at you.”

“Really?” Jason asks, glancing over to Piper who’s still talking with the girls. She looks up to see him staring and shoots him a wink. 

All three of them burst out into laughter. Percy pats Jason on the back. “Yeah man, I think so.”

-.-

The TV is set to the Times Square ball drop and everyone’s ready for the countdown. They still have ten minutes though, so she relaxes a bit and leans closer to Percy. They’re standing behind the couch and his arm is snaked around her. 

Everyone has settled around the TV, and it’s the first time she feels like she can slow down. Coincidentally, it’s also when Percy’s arm is around her.

“Ready for the New Year?” she asks him in a low voice.

He squeezes her waist. “Ready to make more memories with you.”

It sounds like something out of a Hallmark card and he’s paired it with the cheesiest grin. She can’t help but smile at the words. 

“Yeah, me too.”

In the next five minutes she’s gotten two bottles of champagne and handed them off to Piper and Will to do the honors. 

“You sure you don’t want to do it Annabeth?” Will asks when she hands it to him. She shakes her head. 

“Nah, I’ll miss the mark, I trust you.”

“You don’t trust me?” Nico pipes up. 

Annabeth gives him a look. “Percy has told me one too many stories about you guys and glass bottles.”

Nico glares at Percy, who just shrugs in response.

“The countdown is starting!” Will interrupts and all eyes are on the screen and timer counting down from sixty.

“Are we doing this?” he asks her as the numbers change.

50.

She grins back. “Oh, of course.”

40.

He chuckles and pulls her close. “Then I guess you need to be here.”

30.

Will and Piper ready the champagne bottles.

20.

She loops her hands on his neck, pulling him down to her. “And you need to be here.”

10.

Everyone cheers and but all she can look at is the green in his eyes.

5.

She feels a rush of adrenaline at the way he tightens his hold on her.

4.

3.

2.

They lean in, his lips barely brush hers.

1.

They don’t say it since their lips are too busy.

-.-

His eyes feel heavy and he has no idea what time it is, when he feels a hand tug him away from the living room where Piper and Jason are knocked out on the couch and some other friend has taken the armchair. 

He thinks Nico and Will were the last to leave, only needing to go up two floors, and everyone else has filtered out. 

The tugging increases and he stumbles his way through the front door and blinks in the harsh light of the hallway. Squinting, he sees the shape of his girlfriend leading him up the stairs, and a few minutes later a cold wind whips his face, effectively waking him up. 

They’re on The Roof™. Seeing the barren, cracked concrete and the two lone lawn chairs now covered in snow brings a warmth and sadness to his chest. They haven’t been up here in what seems like forever, the cold weather combined with Annabeth’s constant free space deterring them.

She drags the brick, covered in now, to the door and the yellow light floods the scene. Looking beyond the small concrete wall he can see the lights of many of the surrounding buildings still on from the parties and the sky is a clear deep blue. 

It’s beautiful. 

He looks at Annabeth who’s also taking in the sight, a warm smile on her face. Her hair is messy from the festivities and there’s a tiredness to the way she’s carrying herself, but her eyes are bright when she looks up to meet his gaze.

“Happy New Year,” she says breathlessly, huddling closer to him for warmth. It’s already a good two or three hours into the New Year but he wouldn’t trade this moment for the world.

Instead of answering, he wraps his arms around her and leans down for a kiss. It’s slower, sweeter, than the one from the countdown, and they take their time with it, savoring each other’s presence. 

Maybe it's the cold, or the lights, or the way stars are unusually clear, but something about this moment, this kiss, on this rooftop, feels special.

They pull away slowly, smiling, and Percy feels a tug in his gut at just how much he cares for this girl in his arms. She’s peeking up at him through her lashes and he runs his thumb across her cheeks. 

Her eyes flutter shut and their warm breath fogs up between them. She looks stunning.

“I love you,” he finds himself whispering, not entirely of his own volition, but he’s not entirely upset at the words tumbling out. 

Her eyes snap open and she stares at him for a moment before her mouth forms a sly smile.

“I think,” she whispers back, crowding into his space even more. “I think I might love you too.”

They’re the only two people on the roof and they’ve been together for a while now, yet they whisper and blush like it’s a secret. 

Except it’s not. Not anymore. He’s said it out loud. The words he didn’t fully realize he had inside him. 

“I love you,” he repeats with a grin, because even though it’s like three in the morning, she’s got him on a high even alcohol could never achieve. 

She giggles, and all of sudden they’re like teenagers who’ve snuck out of the house after curfew to see each other. 

“I love you too,” she says before pulling him into another searing kiss. Her warmth, her slightly minty taste, the way she opens her mouth to let him in all just serve to strengthen his words.

They should get back to the apartment. Someone might wake up and wonder where they are. But right now, in this moment, everything is perfect. 

And he doesn’t want to let it go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it! The big declaration of love, it’s official guys! I hope you guys liked this fluffy chapter after the angst of last one.
> 
> Thank you guys for the support on this fic and I hope you’re liking it!
> 
> Please Comment! I’d love to hear your thoughts!  
> And as always, thanks for reading!  
> See ya! :)


	18. The Seventeenth Chapter

This time last year, Percy had been celebrating finally getting a job, even if it was only for six months. And then six months had turned to seven, then eight, and suddenly a whole year had passed. It had been a surprise, but a blessing nonetheless. And despite how he felt about the work, it was a job. A job that paid.

It’s been so long that Percy has forgotten what it’s like to be out of work. So when he’s forced to stare it in the face in the form of an email detailing the wrap-up of the project and his last day, the punch in the gut returns. 

This time this year, Percy’s out of a job. 

He tells Nico first, because he has roommate duties (and rent) to fulfill, assuring him that he’ll still pay his half. Nico sympathetically offers to cover it for a month while he’s searching, but Percy shakes his head, adamant, because he’s an _adult_ damnit. He’ll figure it out. 

He tells Annabeth second, because he has boyfriend duties, and though they’re not that extravagant of a couple, it might hinder future plans. Annabeth sympathetically tells him not to worry about it. She also opens her mouth to say something else before stopping herself, and he thinks she might have been offering to help in some way. He’s glad that she holds back. He can do this.

He doesn’t tell anyone else, because he can really only handle two people’s reactions right now. And as usual, a part of his mind starts to wander, and he thinks if only he wrote a book, he could have a chance at making that into something. 

But daydreams aren’t reality. Reality is rejection email after rejection email with the depressing greeting: “We regret to inform you…”

He sighs in frustration as yet another email comes in, incidentally while he’s looking through a job site. It’s disheartening enough to make him close his laptop and lay in bed, staring up at the popcorn ceiling. 

He knows that it’s all about shooting as many shots as possible, since out of fifty applications, maybe ten or so would actually follow-up. He’s not great at math, but he knows that’s the cause of him feeling this shitty. 

“How’s it going?” Annabeth asks when he goes to visit her and he can’t even bring himself to think about it.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” It comes out snippier than intended, the frustration leaking into his voice, and Annabeth retreats immediately.

“Okay, um, want a drink?” She doesn’t wait for a response and beelines towards the kitchen. He sighs, running his hands over his face. He feels even shittier. 

“I’m sorry,” he says the moment she gets back with a can of Pepsi. The last thing he wants to do is take this out on her.

He picks up on the concern in her eyes but she just nods. “It’s okay, I know it’s frustrating. We won’t talk about it.”

True to her word, they don’t. They avoid work altogether and focus on whatever Annabeth’s pulled up on Netflix. It helps him relax a tiny bit, but he can’t shake the feeling that something’s still off between them. 

He tries to ignore it and when she kisses him goodnight, he feels a little better. But as soon as he’s back in his room, staring at his laptop, the shitty feeling returns. 

He _needs_ to do something else. He pulls up an empty word document. 

One of these days he’ll string together all his writing from his notebook and his laptop, but today is not one of those days. 

Today he’s going to write. He’s finally going to get all his thoughts out. 

Half an hour later, it turns out today is not the day for writing either. 

He wants to throw down his proverbial pen, shut off his laptop and never write again. Tears build up in the corner of his eyes because he’s _trying_ , he’s trying so desperately to work on his passion. He knows what he wants from his life but he can’t even make it happen.

Glaring at the jumble of words on the screen in front of him, he slams his laptop closed. He can’t get anywhere. First he was stuck at the temp job, making do but not having the time to put towards his dreams, and now he’s out of work with the rejections piling up and time on his hands just to have the dream fall to pieces in front of his eyes.

He jerks up and buries his face in his hands. He wants to do this. He _needs_ to do this, but every time it feels like he’s fighting a losing battle. 

He’s so tired. So damn tired of losing. 

He goes to bed feeling more unproductive, shitty, and useless than when he got up.

-.-

She doesn’t know if it’s seasonal depression or Percy’s job struggles or just the fact that life has slowed down enough, long enough, for everything to catch up to her, but Annabeth isn’t doing that great. 

It’s stupid because she can’t pinpoint what her problem is. Her life is fine, she’s fine, her job is fine, she can provide for herself. And yeah, her boyfriend is struggling, but their relationship is good, Piper’s doing great and literally everything else is _fine_.

She has nothing to complain about. And yet she can’t help that feeling….that feeling that something is wrong, something that’s causing this rut.

“It’s that time of year,” Frank says over lunch one day, nodding at the cold grey skies. 

She looks out the window, at the chunks of dirty snow plowed to the roadside and the field of grey that makes up the sky. “I guess,” she says, turning back to half-heartedly pick at her food.

“How are you doing?” she asks, trying to shift the focus. 

“Good, we’re finally launching that project I told you about in a week, so that’s been on the forefront right now.”

Annabeth nods. She knows about the project. Frank has been telling her about it since he started working there after they graduated. She looks across the table to him and his salad. She had met him her freshman year of college in a lab and they had become immediate friends. He’d been there through her entire college career, from final projects that kept them up all night to struggling over code before class. 

Frank always had an affinity for computer science, always working on side projects, and even now she can sense the excitement as he talks about his work.

“Do you like your job, Frank?” It’s a question she’s asked him before, but for some reason it springs to her mind now and she feels like she needs an update.

He munches on a cherry tomato. “Yeah, I mean, it gets tedious sometimes. but it’s good. I want to stay with the company for a while at least, it's good experience.”

“Yeah,” she says for no reason in particular. Probably just to agree. Her mind feels a little jumbled and she looks back out at the grey skies. 

Frank eyes her keenly. “Do you like your job, Annabeth?”

It’s a question he’s asked before too, but something in his tone causes her to turn towards him and meet his curious eyes. 

Shrugging, she replies, “Yeah, it’s alright.”

“I know it’s alright, but do you like it?”

She shrugs again as if she can shrug off the weight of his question. “Yeah, sure, it’s fine, pays well, can’t complain.” 

His silence says everything and she knows he’s gotten his answer, that he gets it. Probably more than anyone else since they’re in the same field. He lets out a sigh and picks up his fork again. 

“But is it what you want?”

Annabeth doesn’t have an answer to that question.

-.-

Percy’s completely fed up with job applications and words that don’t make sense and just _all_ of it. Nico’s out with Will, providing no distractions, and he’s practically crawling up the walls of his apartment. 

So when he shows up at his girlfriend’s door, he hopes she’ll let him kiss her until he can’t think anymore.

But when she opens the door one look at her face tells him the vibe is completely different. 

“What’s up?” he asks her once he’s inside.

She shakes her head. “Nothing, just watching Youtube.” 

He raises an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything as they settle down on the couch. Sure enough the TV is paused on a video, but Annabeth’s biting her lip and it's obvious she has something on her mind. He hopes it’s nothing about them.

“How do you get your thoughts on paper?” she asks after a minute of silence of him observing her.

The question catches him off guard. “What do you mean?”

She shrugs helplessly. “You once said that when your mind is messy you write to clear it out. How do you do that?”

It’s ironic that she’s asking about this now, when he just failed at writing anything cohesive only ten or so minutes ago. 

“Um…I don’t…” he starts, because how do you answer something as complex as that, but she’s looking at him earnestly, so he tries to make an effort. 

“Well, I guess I just try to take whatever I’m thinking or feeling and apply it to a story or a poem or something, like have my characters play it out and...it kinda lets me take whatever is going on in my head and quantifies that into words and a story. Then it’s more organized then just floating around in my head, I guess.” 

Now that he’s started talking about it he’s on a roll. “And sometimes just writing it out helps me realize what it is that I’m feeling. But most of the time, writing a short story or a poem helps to just get it out, because if I can take the messiness and turn it into fuel for a story, then it’s much more productive and I feel better thinking I’ve done something with it.”

He stops talking to glance over at her. She’s nodding slowly clearly trying to absorb every word.

After another moment, he speaks up. “Why do you ask?’

She sighs. “I guess my mind had just been everywhere lately and I’m trying to find ways to clear it up.”

“Well, you don’t have to write something the way I do, you could journal, or even like, paint something. Anything creative, really.”

She huffs out a laugh “I’m not creative at all.”

He frowns at that and shakes his head. That’s exactly the kind of mindset he doesn’t want her to have. 

“That’s not true. Everyone has their own sense of creativity. Mine is writing—which, by the way, is a pain in the ass— but that’s not the only way. It can manifest in different ways even beyond the traditional forms, like food or music.” He pauses to think for a moment, “You can be creative in your job, or the gifts you give your friends.. it could be anything, really.”

He takes a deep breath and sinks back into her couch. “I just think creativity is really important. To everyone. It’s important to create something, bring something out from yourself into the world…” he trails off, lost in thought.

She grabs his hand and shoots him a sweet smile. “Spoken like a true writer.”

He shakes his head as his face falls. “I don’t know about that. I haven’t been able to write something decent recently, it’s all coming out like shit—”

“You didn’t tell me in that speech you just gave that whatever you create has to be _good_.”

He stares at her with his mouth wide open, the words about how he’s a failure still on the tip of his tongue, because if this was chess she’s just checkmated him. 

He slumps back and she puts a hand on his arm. “You’ve been having a rough go of it recently. It’s okay.” 

He opens his mouth to refute her, to tell her about the rejection emails and the words in his notebook that didn’t make sense, but the words die in his throat. Seeing this, she leans closer and kisses him, soft and sweet.

He melts into it, getting lost in the feel of her lips and the press of her body against his. Now this, this he can do. The quiet moan from Annabeth reinforces that at least he’s not a failure when it comes to his girlfriend.

And with that, he lets himself feel loved and forget everything.

Even if it’s just for a little while

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it! Learning a bit more about the characters now and their struggles. The part of a relationship and life that usually doesn’t get seen when a story ends after the characters get together I feel. But they’re trying and making it work.
> 
> I hope you guys liked this, even though it was the exact opposite of the last chapter lol 
> 
> Please Comment! I’d love to hear your thoughts!  
> And as always, thanks for reading!  
> See ya! :)


	19. The Eighteenth Chapter

Annabeth’s feeling it when she walks over to the door, but her vision of a night spent wrapped up in her boyfriend’s arms fades the moment she sees his face. Immediately, she can tell that something’s up, he’s rubbing the back of his neck and stumbling over words and telling her he’s going to Maine for a week and a half.

Actually, it’s the first thing he blurts at her before even walking in, and it’s so out of left field and the complete opposite of what she was feeling that she’s left speechless. He takes the silence as a bad thing and continues to stumble over words that don’t make such sense, still standing in the doorway before she finally shuts him up.

“Percy, it’s fine. Calm down and get inside, it’s getting cold.” It comes out harsher than she meant it to and he quietly shuffles in with his head hung down.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbles and she instantly feels bad. She honestly hadn’t meant for it to come out like that, it had just surprised her so much that the flash of hurt must have tumbled out of her mouth before her brain had fully processed it.

She lets out a sigh. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that,” He looks up and she meets his eyes. “It’s honestly okay.”

He stares at her for a second more, probably trying to read her face and she tries to school it into a more neutral fashion. She takes a step back and motions for him to sit. 

“So why Maine?” she asks in what she hopes is a lighter tone.

He takes the bait. “Grover, my best friend.” She nods remembering some stories he’s told her. “He lives there and I’m staying with him and Juniper, his girlfriend. You’d like her, she loves Doctor Who.”

Annabeth nods approvingly and tries valiantly to squish the part of her that wants to go with him. She can’t anyway, she has work.

“That’s cool, I’m sure it’ll be nice.”

Percy nods enthusiastically. “Yeah, it’ll be great to see him, it’s been a long time.”

She nods again, unable to come up with any other words.

“It’ll also be nice to just get away for a bit,” Percy continues. “It might help with my writing. I’ve been stuck on it and maybe a change of pace will get it going.”

She tries to pretend the words don’t stab her heart but the hurt welling up inside her is too much. She knows he doesn’t mean it in any way towards her, but the irrational part of her brain can’t help but take it personally. That he wants, he needs, to get away from  _ her _ .

She nods, because what else can she say? Her silence doesn’t go unnoticed and she sees Percy watching at her to gauge her reaction. She immediately starts talking.

“Yeah I mean, hopefully it helps.”

She’s not entirely sure it’s all that convincing, but he doesn’t comment. It’s a blessing and a curse because deep down she knows it’s not about her, that he just wants to see some friends and get some writing done. But the parts of her mind not as deep down are hurting. She also knows it’s unfair to want him to stay when a break will probably be good.

“I promise to send you lots of pictures,” he vows and she continues to nod along.

“So, when do you leave?” she asks, realizing she doesn’t know this crucial piece of information.

“In two days,” he replies, looking sheepish because even he knows that’s really soon. “It was kind of a last minute plan.”

She nods for the four hundredth time, because that is  _ way too soon _ but what can she do about it?

The rest of the evening passes like a blur. She doesn’t know what they talk about, or what happens, but she knows that when he goes in for a deep kiss she doesn’t let it go on and just says she’s tired. 

And she knows there’s a flash of hurt in his eyes at the rejection, but he complies and leaves soon after.

Closing the door behind him, she wonders why the ever-living fuck did she act like that. She isn’t happy he’s gone, she isn’t happy they ended on a weird note. She hates the feeling, her actions, and the situation. 

As soon as she closes the door, she wants to open it again and call after him.

But she doesn’t do that. She holds it in and goes to sleep.

-.-

Percy is like eighty-five percent sure that Annabeth is okay with this. She’s driving him to the airport after all, but he can’t help but feel like something’s off between them. He’s not entirely sure what—it’s probably to do with this last minute trip he’s planned— but he has no idea how to address it so they continue to sit in silence.

When she pulls up to the curb, she just stares blankly ahead and he wishes he knew what she was thinking.

“Hey,” he says softly, reaching over to turn her face towards him. Their eyes meet and for the first time in a long while, they’re an unreadable stormy grey. 

He aches to fix this and he hates that he doesn’t know how. He decides to simply go with the truth. 

“I’m going to miss you,” he whispers softly, drawing her closer. Because if there’s anything deterring him from this trip, it’s how much he’s going to miss Annabeth. 

“Yeah,” she says quietly. “Me too.”

He leans closer and bridges the gap, capturing her lips in his and something inside his heart just clicks. It’s soft and sweet and when he pulls away he feels better than he has in a while.

She offers him a small smile and he sighs. “Have fun,” she says, leaving her hand by the side of his face.

He nuzzles into the touch, before stealing another quick kiss. “I’ll see you soon.”

She bites her lip and nods as he gets his bag and steps out of the car. He turns around once he’s outside and blows her a kiss. As cheesy as it is, she smiles and catches it and his heart feels much lighter knowing that even though he’s leaving, they’re okay.

He sends her a text when he passes through security, knowing she’s probably still driving, and calls Nico to let him know he’s made it. 

Nico tells him to have fun but not too much fun. Will tells him to ignore Nico and get some relaxation time. Nico tells Will that he’s being mean. Will tells Nico that he can show mean. Percy tells them both he needs to board now. 

-.-

Maine is a breath of fresh air. Or rather, a breath of freezing air, but either way it wakes him right up. Grover is waiting at the airport when he arrives, and though his facial hair has grown significantly and he looks a little older, his grin immediately takes Percy back to their childhood days.

It’s great to see him.

“G-man!”

“Perseus!”

“I hate that name!” They say it at the same time and burst out laughing, easily falling back into their old antics. Juniper rolls her eyes but still gives him a hug.

“Good to see you again, Percy.”

They make their way to Grover’s old jeep, Percy thanking them profusely for letting him stay at their place the whole way until Grover threatens to chuck a shoe at his face and Juniper, more politely, tells him to shut up.

Along with a book he saw at the airport, the cat that dashed across the street, the Doctor Who coasters are the third thing that remind him of Annabeth. He’d sent a text to her and Nico letting them know he had landed, but it wasn’t enough to fully encapsulate everything he wanted to say to her.

“I can’t believe you actually, finally watched the show,” Juniper says, handing him a glass of water that he sets on the coaster. 

“Annabeth loves it and when we started watching it, it became an excuse to come over.”

“Annabeth is that girl you’re seeing right?” Grover asks, trying to remember their last conversation.

“My girlfriend, actually,” he responds with a grin. Even though they’ve been together for a while, saying the words ‘my girlfriend’ still makes him giddy. He realizes he hasn’t sent her another text yet so he pulls out his phone and snaps her a video of the three of them saying hi.

-.-

Annabeth wakes up the next morning to a snap from Percy. It brings a smile to her face and she feels a little better about him leaving. 

She doesn’t know why it’s hitting her this hard. She thinks it wouldn’t normally be a big deal, but the way she’s been feeling lately is obviously a contributing factor.

The days are dark, cold and short, work feels like more of a chore, life feels drab and now with Percy gone, a sense of loneliness creeps over her.

Actually, she realizes with a start, it’s the first time since moving in that she’s actually felt lonely in her little one bedroom apartment.

It’s probably because she’s used to Percy being around, or her other friends, so alone time used to be appreciated, but now it just feels... lonely. 

Now with Percy in Maine and Piper busy with her new boyfriend, the seasonal depression is hitting her harder than ever and the feeling isn’t going away, so she just ends up feeling horrible. 

This is, she knows, an Unproductive Line of Thinking and Annabeth sighs, trying to channel her inner Piper. Piper would tell her to reach out to one of her multiple friends.

She pulls out her phone and hovers over Percy’s name. 

She should just do it. She doesn’t know why she’s even hesitating. Sensing her hesitation, the evil part of her mind goads her, telling her that Percy’s having a lot of fun without her and she really shouldn’t bother. (She really does try to ignore that part).

Three seconds, that’s what they say right? Three seconds to make a decision. 

Her finger moves without thinking and the phone is ringing before she knows it.

He picks up on the third ring. “Hey babe!”

She lets out a breath she doesn’t know she was holding at the sound of his voice.

“Hey, how’s it going?” She can hear muted sounds in the background.

“Great! Maine is freezing but it’s nice, we’re chilling at Grover’s place. How’s it going with you?”

She’s not about to tell him about feeling lonely and sad, so instead she tells him that she was watching Youtube.

“Of course,” he says with a laugh. “Don’t know what I expected. Anything good on?”

It’s a joke between them because of how Annabeth treats Youtube like TV. Her response is always, “There’s always something good on.”

Talking to him makes her feel better, even after they hang up, she decides to keep it going and stay true to her word focusing her attention on Youtube.

That always helps anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it, an appearance from Grover and Juniper! And of course, Percy trying to figure his shit out and Annabeth trying to deal with hers. But also just the struggle when someone else’s words or actions affect you even though they aren’t towards you, we’ve all taken things a little personally at some point or the other and I wanted Annabeth to be aware of it. Of course, that doesn’t make it any less hard and she’s still struggling with it.
> 
> Relationships get the most difficult, I think, when both people are dealing with things. Usually, ideally, one person can support someone through the difficult thing, but in this case they’re both struggling and it can be hard to have the same amount of support as usual. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys liked this! Please Comment! I’d love to hear your thoughts!  
> And as always, thanks for reading!  
> See ya! :)


	20. The Nineteenth Chapter

Percy really needed this. He lets out a relaxed sigh as he sips his hot chocolate. The cafe's quaint, not too crowded, and an easy ten-minute walk from Grover's house. Basically, it's the perfect place to write. And while he's had a lot of fun just chilling and catching up with Grover and Juniper during the weekend, Monday means he finally has time to focus on his writing.

After assuring Grover he'll be fine on his own since he has job applications and writing to do, he had been directed to this quaint little cafe. Honestly, just the change of scenery is enough to make him feel better about everything.

Just as he's pulling out his laptop to submit a few more job applications, a girl who couldn't have been more than six skids over to where he's sitting evidently running from a little boy around the same age.

"I'm so sorry," her mother apologies, hurrying over to where the girl has halted by his leg. He waves it aside and offers a smile to the young girl who's now looking at him curiously. She reminds him painfully of Annabeth, with her blonde hair and face screwed up in concentration and he makes a note to ask Annabeth for childhood photos.

The reminder of his girlfriend brings a pang to his heart. She's the only thing missing over here.

The mother drags her daughter back to their table and Percy turns his attention to the job site pulled up in front of him. It's still depressing, but he refuses to let it dampen his mood, sending off a few resumes before shutting it close.

Today is a paper and pen day. The music is soothing, his hot chocolate is sweet, and as he glances to where the little girl is now making faces at the boy as their mothers talk, he thinks that maybe there's a story out there where he and Annabeth had been friends since childhood and made faces at each other in a coffee shop.

He smiles and starts writing.

-.-

"I'm really glad you're getting somewhere with your writing," Grover says a day later over lunch. "I know how much you love it."

Grover is the only person he knows in real life that has actually read his writing. Usually he either puts it up online anonymously, or it remains saved in a folder or between the pages of his notebook. Grover is only an exception because he's been around since the early days of the Hardy Boy knock off drafts.

Percy nods, chewing on his sandwich. "Yeah, I think the change of scenery is helping. I made enough progress to turn it into a cohesive story today."

Suddenly Grover smacks his head. "I'm an idiot, I completely forgot!" Percy raises an eyebrow as Grover hurries to explain. "I should introduce you to my friend who works for a publishing company who may be able to help you publish your book!"

Percy shakes his head. "Oh no, I don't have anywhere near enough for a complete book, hell I," he shrugs, looking down. "I don't even think I'm good enough."

Grover frowns at his words. "What are you even saying? You're a great writer!"

Percy rolls his eyes. "How would you know."

"I happen to have actually read your work," Grover replies indignantly.

"You've read my old work."

"Exactly!" Grover exclaims loud enough for two Karens to look over. "If I've read your old stuff and I think it's good, you must be even better now."

Percy offers him a half smile and shrugs.

Grover is not one to back down, though. "I'll introduce you," he decides, and Percy can't change his mind. (A part of him doesn't really want to).

He gets a text two hours later from Grover saying he's arranged an introduction.

-.-

Annabeth is trying valiantly to focus on a Youtube video, but for the first time, it's not enough to keep her thoughts at bay. She had a rather shitty day at work, Piper's on a date, and all the feelings she's managed to push aside the last couple days are coming back to bite her in the ass.

She hates it. The cold, the loneliness, the general sadness, that's preventing her from even enjoying the things she likes.

She pauses the video and pulls out her phone. The last text from Percy is a picture of his lunch, where he made a smiley face with his chips, and she'd reacted with a laughing emoji. He usually calls her around this time of night, the only solace she finds nowadays, but he hasn't yet.

She should just call him. She can hear Piper in her head telling her to just call. It'll make her feel better. It always has.

Three, two, one, she presses call.

It rings for so long, she starts to worry he won't actually pick up. But he does, a second before she's sure she would have been directed to his voicemail.

"Hey Annabeth!" he says loudly, obviously trying to talk over the noise of wherever he's at.

"Hey, where are you?" she asks out of curiosity.

"A bar, we're here with a few of Grover's friends. What's up?"

She's very obviously disrupting him and feels bad enough to end the call. But in a split second decision, she decides to push through. "I miss you."

"I miss you too," he responds, tone softening a little. She hears someone in the background call his name. "Be there soon!" he calls back to whoever it is.

"Sorry," he says turning his attention back on her. "It's kind of hectic.

"It's alright." She tries to hold back her disappointment."You should go."

""Yeah…" Her heart falls a little at the answer. "But I'll call you later, though, I need to tell you about something cool."

"Oh come on, you can't just leave it like that," she says despite herself.

"Sorry." She can hear the grin in his voice. "Grover introduced to a publisher friend who might be able to help me publish a book!"

"That's great!" she responds, but it's cut off by Percy yelling to the group again.

"One sec, Rachel! Sorry babe, gotta go. Promise I'll call you later!"

"Yeah, okay," she says before he hangs up.

She was wrong. Talking to Percy does not make her feel better.

-.-

There's a few minutes of deep breaths and blinking back tears before she can't take it anymore and just lets herself sob as everything rushes back to her.

Her feeling of dissatisfaction, the loneliness, the fear of Percy leaving her, her lack of direction in life, just _everything_. It all comes crashing down and suddenly she's violently sobbing.

And on top of all, that she feels even worse because she knows it's _so_ stupid. She doesn't have a basis for feeling this way. She's got a good life, she's not alone, she has friends, Percy obviously _cares_ otherwise he wouldn't have even picked up. It's unfair and horrible to be feeling this way.

The guilt piles on when she doesn't stop herself from automatically dialing Piper's number. She picks up on the second ring.

"Hello?" Annabeth can hear sounds in the background and her relief at hearing her best friend's voice disappears as the knowledge that she's interrupting another good time overtakes her. God, she really can't do anything right.

She can't bring herself to speak and another sob escapes her before she can control it.

Piper immediately changes tone. "Annabeth? Hey, it's okay, what's happening? Talk to me." Her voice is laced with concern and Annabeth feels even worse.

She puts together some words that probably aren't making sense to form a story that probably isn't right, she's not entirely sure but she does know that she hasn't stopped apologizing since she started talking.

"Okay okay," Piper cuts her off. "First off, you do not need to apologize. For anything. I want to be here, I want to help, and I want you to reach out to me. So don't apologize for calling."

Annabeth remains silent as Piper takes a breath and continues.

"And secondly, I don't know exactly what happened but I do know that you are beating yourself about feeling bad about it." She can imagine Piper giving her a hard look.

"So I'm here to tell you to stop that." Piper's voice is firm. "Stop feeling guilty about feeling bad. It's okay to be feeling bad. It's okay to feel things, even if they're irrational. Stop beating yourself up about things you can't control, okay?"

Her voice softens. "It's okay to be feeling shitty. You have been handling everything like a responsible mature adult. Especially with Percy. And that's great but you're allowed to have a moment. You're allowed to feel sad or jealous or shitty."

Annabeth sniffles and finds herself nodding at Piper's words.

"Feel bad," Piper says softly. "Cry, feel it all, and let it all out. Don't keep holding it in. Just take this moment to let it all out. Feel, unashamedly. Right now, there are no consequences to this. Take advantage of that. Just let it out."

"Thanks Piper," Annabeth manages as a whisper.

"Of course. I'll be there as soon as I can and we'll work on figuring out what comes next."

Annabeth physically shakes her head before realizing Piper can't see her. "It's okay, I think I just need to do what you said by myself. Enjoy your date. I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

"If you're sure…." Piper sounds uncertain.

"It's okay," Annabeth reassures her.

"Then you _will_ see me tomorrow."

They hang up, and though Annabeth's stopped crying, she thinks she still needs to.

Because Piper's right, she needs to get it all out. But her mind is racing too fast for her to think or even feel anything properly.

And all of a sudden she's just so _tired._ Tired and hurt—for no good reason—and she knows it but she can't help it. She's all alone, and exhausted and so completely lost. It's dumb but overwhelming beause she's all too aware of just how alone she is.

She has these people, but she's kept them at a distance because she needed this, needed to figure out life on her own. But she hasn't, she thinks meanly, as the tears return. She hasn't figured out anything. All she has to show for it is an empty apartment, a passionless life with no clear route, and this exhaustion that hangs over her all the time during these short winter days.

This might be a Spiraling and Unproductive Line of Thinking but all the Not Helpful thoughts that she's been pushing to the side for months now come barreling down as if the floodgates have opened and she feels a little like she's drowning in all of them.

Because now there's nothing stopping it. No boyfriend to distract her, no best friend to curb it's flow. It's just her. Her in her empty apartment with nothing but loneliness. She has nothing to turn to—no hobby, no passion, nothing to make her feel whole except a boyfriend who's far away and living and she's Not and it just hurts.

She rolls over on the couch and clutches the blanket tighter around her. The room feels ten degrees colder against the heat of her face, the tears icy as they roll down her face.

She wants to close her eyes, wants to get in bed and never get out because now she's faced with the reality she can't ignore any longer. That life feels...empty, and lonely, and tiring and it's missing something she can't quite place and she wishes Percy was there to fill the hole, to make her feel excited about getting up everyday.

And of course, it comes back to Percy. The irrational hurt is somehow easier than facing reality and she finds herself crying once more over the fact that he _left_ her.

Clinging to that burst of bitterness, the jealousy of him having fun, with some other person, she falls asleep with a tear streaked face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, a lot of angst, but I think what Annabeth feels in this part are real emotions. Part of the adjustment from school into real adult life is being faced with, quite literally, the rest of your life. For 18+ years of your life all you've known is the structure of school, one grade after another, but all of a sudden you're out and it's freeing but can be overwhelming if you don't have a clear plan. All of a sudden it feels like you really need to figure out what you're doing and where you're going.
> 
> And let me tell you, most people don't have a clear plan, and that's completely valid and okay. I don't know how many of you are in this position, my guess is probably not a lot, but I hope when you get there you remember this because it's something I wish I had been told when I was going through it.
> 
> So basically, all that combined with seasonal depression and going through a rough patch in a relationship can lead to the ending if this chapter. Also, just pushing thigs away as Annabeth has been for most of the story, it can catch up to you.
> 
> So let me end this huge authors note by saying, it's okay. If you feel lost or confused or sad or anything, it's okay. It's okay not to know and it's okay to simply feel something. Just keep going, working towards better every day to the best of your ability, even if you're not sure, it's okay.
> 
> Please Comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts!  
> And as always, thanks for reading!  
> See ya! :)


	21. The Twentieth Chapter

Percy's been thriving in Maine. He wonders if maybe he should move up here— it'd be cheaper than New York, anyway. Plus, he's made more progress in his book in the past week than he has since, well...ever.

Meeting Rachel has also hyped him up more. Talking about the possibility of publishing and the process is inspiring enough to motivate him to work on the project. He's never been more committed to his dream of writing a book.

It isn't till he's in the middle of a paragraph detailing a phone conversation between the main character and a love interest does it strike him that he hasn't heard from Annabeth yet.

He checks his phone. No new messages.

He frowns. They've usually messaged each other at least something by now. He hasn't heard from her since...since last night's phone call.

Wincing, he remembers how he hadn't been able to talk and it must have been a thoroughly disappointing conversation. Mind completely drawn away from his writing, he dials her number. He had promised to call after all.

It rings for a whole minute and ends up in her voicemail. He hangs up when the tone beeps, so surprised that he doesn't know what to say. She always picks up his calls. Part of him thinks he's probably just busy...on a Sunday...maybe she's taking a shower or something? But another, more worried part of him, is thinking that something is wrong.

He shakes his head. She's probably just busy, she'll call him back. He turns back to his writing.

Fifteen minutes and two sentences later he gives up. His mind keeps drifting back to Annabeth and the situation, so he restlessly picks up his phone again and debates whether or not to text her

Suddenly he feels stupid, like he's sixteen again trying to get his crush's attention. He shakes his head again and just types out a quick message.

_Hey, call me when you can_

A minute later he sends another.

_I miss you_

That should be good. Probably. Maybe.

He needs to stop worrying about it, but when he turns back to his writing, his characters don't seem that appealing and he makes their conversation unsuccessful rather than romantic as he had planned.

It doesn't move the plot along, so he gives up and heads back to Grover's, trying to ignore the fact that Annabeth hasn't texted him back.

-.-

Annabeth is staring at the text for the third time when Piper snatches her phone away.

"Hey, you need to focus," she says putting her phone aside. "Looking at his text again won't help."

Annabeth nods miserably because Piper's right. They're sitting on her couch over caramel lattes that Piper brought. This is why she's an amazing best friend.

Annabeth had woken up to dry tears, a kink in her neck, and her laptop dead from being left on. She had proceeded to call Piper and only managed to brush her teeth and put her laptop on charge by the time Piper had shown up.

She leans back and takes a sip of her latte, letting the warmth wash over her. Surprisingly, she does feel a little better. Her eyes are dry now that she's cried it all out and she feels a little bit lighter as a result. The problems she's had are still there, but easier to handle in the morning light with her best friend and dry eyes.

"You know, these are all valid things," Piper says, watching her. She'd finished telling Piper everything when Percy's texts had come in.

"No, they're really not. Percy's done nothing wrong, it's all on me. I'm the one spinning this into something it's probably not."

Piper smiles. "Well, one; your feelings are still valid for the sole reason that you're feeling them. And two; at least you're self-aware of how things are. But," she adds in a firmer tone, "just because you're self-aware doesn't mean you should beat yourself up for having emotions."

Annabeth nods again. There's a reason Piper is pursuing her masters in psychology. And it really helped her last night to hear someone else say it was okay to be upset, even if there was probably nothing to be upset about.

"You're entitled to have them," Piper continues. "You're not entitled to take it out on him, but you are allowed to experience and work past them."

"Yeah..." Annabeth says miserably. She had missed Percy's phone call earlier when Piper demanded she go wash her face and debated whether or not to call him before Piper said she should work herself out first.

And she was right. It might be okay for her to feel all this, but it isn't good to take it out on him. It still sends a pang through her chest, though, because she was the one who hadn't picked up when he had called just like he promised he would.

"Hey," Piper says gently, getting her attention. "It's okay. You've been handling all of this stuff with Percy since the very beginning in a really mature way. There are adults who can't do what you did in some of those earlier situations. It's okay that some things slipped through the cracks and caused this. You've been trying your best and succeeding. It's okay to just not be okay now."

She has a point there, Annabeth supposes. There were plenty of situations that could have gone way worse. Like the morning after their first time, when he was late for Christmas gifts, even when he said he was leaving for a while. She could have blown up in a bad way. And she knows she's not perfect, she's probably done things that would have caused Percy to get upset too, but he has also maintained composure.

She supposes they really were, for the most part, handling things like adults. But for some reason this one thing has, as Piper said, slipped through the cracks, and she just can't get it together.

"You could talk to him, you know," Piper speaks up, interrupting her thoughts. "Tell him how you've been feeling. I'm sure he would understand."

Annabeth shakes her head. "No, it'll only make him feel bad...what if he takes it the wrong way?"

Piper frowns. "I don't think he would, not if you explained it…but if you're uncomfortable, then that's okay. Just get yourself to a place where you think you can talk to him again. I think another conversation would be good. He did call you after all."

He did. And that means a lot. She picks up her phone from the coffee table. Unlocking it and getting to his contact is easy, but all of a sudden pressing call seems impossible.

She glances at Piper, who nods encouragingly, and Annabeth sighs. She can do this. She presses call.

-.-

Percy has been mostly picking at his food, which is weird because he ordered it and it's Chipotle. Grover, being the ever observant friend, notices this and nudges him with a concerned look.

"What's up, man?" he asks in a low voice. Rachel is over and her and Juniper are talking about the semantics of some makeup palette by some Youtuber (something that painfully reminds him of Annabeth, even if she didn't really watch too much of that kind of stuff).

He shrugs, stabbing a single piece of corn with his fork.

Grover shoots him a look that tells him that he's not buying it and won't let it go until he explains.

Sighing, he puts his fork down. "Nothing, it's just... Annabeth just hasn't called me back yet."

"I'm sure she's just busy." The sympathetic look somehow makes it worse.

"Yea,h but—" he cuts himself off with a frown and shakes his head.

"What?" Grover prompts.

"This is so dumb, but I was busy yesterday and I still picked up her call. Even though I couldn't talk properly I still picked up….I know it's dumb and unfair but…she hasn't even answered my text."

Grover nods while he chews on a piece of lettuce. "Hey man, it's okay to be upset."

"It's stupid."

Grover pats his back. "Even then."

The words don't stop the thoughts that continue to run through Percy's head. He tries to respond to something Rachel says about writing, but his heart isn't in it. He keeps checking his phone every thirty seconds and Grover shoots him another sympathetic look.

He's literally about to blow up and storm out of the room when his phone starts buzzing and her name lights up his screen. He lets out a breath he must have been holding this entire time and picks up on the second ring.

"Hey," he says, standing up to walk towards the kitchen.

"Hey," her voice is quiet, and he can't tell what the tone is. "Sorry," she continues. "I was with Piper."

"It's okay," he says, still confused because something is definitely off but he can't tell what. "Are you okay?"

"What were you going to tell me about, that publisher thing?" she asks, instead of answering his question. He wonders if he should press her about it, but ultimately decides to follow her lead on the conversation.

"Oh, yeah, um, Grover's friend Rachel works for this publishing company and she says she's willing to take a look at my book once it's done and see what she can do to push it through."

"That's really cool," she responds in the same quiet tone.

"Yeah…but I need to write a book first so, we'll see," he responds.

"You'll do it, I know you will." The words are encouraging but the tone is still soft and quiet. He can't hold back from the question again.

"Are you okay Annabeth?"

"Yeah, listen, I have to go, but it was good talking to you," Annabeth says, rushing past her answer. "Thank you for calling me today, by the way," she adds and it's the most believable thing she's said the entire conversation.

"Of course, I promised you I would."

"You did, I appreciate it."

There's a moment of silence before she starts to say she needs to leave again.

"What do you have to do?" he asks, interrupting her.

There's a pause before she answers. "I'm seeing Piper."

"I thought you already saw Piper?"

"I did, I'm seeing her again. She went out to get food, she'll be back."

Percy frowns, he believes her but something still feels off.

"Are we…okay?" He feels dumb for asking, but it's been stewing in his mind since she didn't pick up his phone call. Even so, as soon as the words leave his mouth he feels like a teen in a shitty romance movie.

"Yeah," Annabeth responds. She lets out a sigh. "We're okay."

Percy nods even though she can't see him. That's something, at least.

They hang up shortly after and Percy heads back to the living room, still feeling a bit weird about it all. Clearly something is wrong, but he can't tell what and he's not going to get anywhere over the phone. But she said that they were okay, so he holds onto that.

The next day, after another unsuccessful attempt at writing and another job rejection, he tells Grover he's going to leave earlier than planned. Maine has been fun, but he misses Annabeth and he needs to get back to his life. That, and his writing is starting to once again come to a standstill.

He hadn't bought a return ticket anyway, since his mom, upon learning about his unemployment and plan to visit Grover, had graciously offered to use some of her flight points to help him out.

Grover and Juniper urge him to stay longer but he shakes his head. It's time for him to go.

-.-

He stops by his empty apartment for only a minute to drop off his bag before running back down the stairs to knock on Annabeth's door.

Excitement overtakes him. He can't wait to see her again. It's been too long, and with the weird conversations he wants nothing more than to pull her into a hug and kiss her until she's breathless.

He also hasn't told her about his plan to come back early, so he can't wait to see the look on her face when she opens the door.

Annabeth looks stunning when she opens the door— a face full of makeup, a baby blue blouse and her hair let down rather than her usual ponytail. Her face is just as shocked as he had expected.

"Percy?"

"Hey," he says with a wide grin that disappears a second later, as he looks past the door to see a man sitting on her couch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me start off by saying thank you guys so much for the overwhelming response on that last chapter! I honestly didn't expect it, especially since it ends on such a sad note, but to hear you guys either relate to or just be concerned for Annabeth was heartwarming. (Though I hope the ones who related are feeling better now!)
> 
> Also had a few people concerned about what's going to happen with Rachel and as you read in this chapter, nothing. This is all pre-written, I haven't changed the plot at all, because the point of this fic is to highlight the ups and downs of relationships while trying to show how to get past them in a healthy way.
> 
> The tension that's between Percy and Annabeth in this chapter is especially relatable I think because we've all had those awkward moments thinking that maybe something is off, while being unable to communicate it. And, of course, the semi-cliff hanger at the end. But if you've read this long authors note than I'm sure you already know that it isn't at all what it seems like.
> 
> Please Comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!  
> And as always, thanks for reading!  
> See ya! :)


	22. The Twenty-First Chapter

He actively tries to stop his mind from jumping to the worst possible conclusion, but he can’t help the punch to the gut at the sight in front of him.

It doesn’t work. Annabeth notices his gaze and immediately rushes to explain.

“Oh, um, Percy, meet Frank, my friend from college.”

So this is Frank, the vampire guy. He’s buffer than Percy, with short cropped black hair (unlike his own). He’s also directing a smile towards him that Percy has trouble returning. 

“Nice to meet you dude,” he says, standing up and holding out his hand in greeting.

Percy shakes back, noticing the strong grip. “Yeah,” he says quickly and turns back to Annabeth.

“I can leave if this is a bad time.” He once again _tries_ not to let the hurt or anger seep into his tone, but given by the look on Annabeth’s face, he knows he once again hasn’t succeeded. 

“Oh no man, I was gonna head out soon anyway,” Frank speaks up, moving towards his jacket. “This was fun. Thanks for having me over Annabeth.” 

“Oh, yeah of course. But you don’t have to leave Frank,” Annabeth protests lightly as he gathers his things. Percy fails at calming the flames in his stomach at the words.

Franks shakes his head. “Nah it's cool, I have to hit the gym anyway.”

He’s a gym buff, of course. Not the kind of guy Annabeth would like, he thinks. Probably...maybe he should go to the gym.

“Okay, well...thanks for coming over, we’ll do this again sometime,” Annabeth responds, giving him a quick hug. 

Percy is totally cool.

Franks says another goodbye, waves at him (and Percy waves back because he knows he’s being irrational and needs to be polite).

Annabeth turns back to him as soon as she closes the door. 

“You’re back early,” are the first words out of her mouth.

Percy’s excitement has long since drained and turned into something more akin to frustration. “Yeah, thought I’d surprise you.”

“I’m certainly surprised.”

There’s an awkward moment of silence before Annabeth asks if he’d like a drink.

He doesn’t but he says yes for the sake of it.

She goes into the kitchen and he sits on the couch. Where Frank had just been sitting. He really needs to get over himself. 

Annabeth returns, handing him a can of Pepsi, and he’s glad to have something else to focus on besides the obvious tension in the room.

“How was your trip?” she asks finally. 

He takes a sip and pushes down the image of the reception he’d been hoping for, the one that involved a lot more smiling and kissing.

“Good,” he replies. “It was good to get away for a bit. I got a lot of writing done.”

Annabeth nods, fiddling with her own can. “That’s nice.”

“What have you been up to?” he asks. 

She shrugs. “Watching Youtube, hanging out with friends.”

“Like Frank.” It slips out before he can control it.

Her eyes harden. “Like Frank.” Her tone is harsh and he probably deserves it, but he’s already been feeling on the rocks about everything given the way their last conversation had gone and he just can’t take it. 

“That’s nice,” he says sarcastically.

“As nice as hanging out with Rachel, I’m sure.” 

It’s like a slap in the face and he turns to see the anger in her eyes.

“Rachel is just a friend!” he yells.

“Yeah, so is Frank!” she yells back.

“Ugh,” he throws his hands up, “I can’t believe I came back early for this to happen. I thought you’d be happy to see me!”

There’s no more tension now, it’s all rushing out and he knows he should get a grip but then— 

“Well, you wanted to get away didn’t you,” she sneers back.

“That’s unfair!” he shouts. “You can’t fault me for that!” He knows he’s not helping, but he just can’t seem to stop himself.

“And you can’t fault me for having a friend over!”

He growls in frustration. He needs to leave before he says something else he doesn’t mean. His chest is heaving in the exact opposite way he had hoped and the feeling of coming undone is back.

“Well, feel free to call him back, because I’m leaving,” he says, storming through the door. He doesn’t look back to see her face.

-.-

Annabeth’s face is morphed into a mixture of confusion, anger and hurt. Percy just walked out on her. 

He walked out on her. 

She can’t believe it. She doesn’t even know how they got here.

One second they were fine, well...they weren’t fine. They haven’t been fine. All the anger rushes out of her, quickly replaced with hurt. She thought she had cried out all her tears, but they’re sliding down her face on their own.

She knows she shouldn’t have snapped back. She hadn’t meant it. Hurt and anger had caused her to lash out and now...now she was really left alone because Percy _walked out_. The tears come out faster and she wants so desperately for him to come back. 

Curling up in a tiny ball, she cries for the second time that week. 

She doesn’t know when she stops, she just knows her eyes hurt, her body is stiff from her position as she hasn’t moved since he had left. It’s not a healthy thing, but she’s making all sorts of bad choices today anyway, so what’s one more.

So she stays there, curled up on the couch for some more indeterminate amount of time before finally the voice in her head (that sounds suspiciously like Piper) yells at her to get up and she manages to sit.

Her back hates her and the dried tears cracked her makeup, causing her face to harden. A part of her wants to reach for her phone, the other wants to never check it again. It’s dark out, so it might be late. She doesn’t know. She doesn’t want to know.

Eventually, she forces herself to go to the bathroom. Her makeup is decimated, eyeliner and mascara tracks breaking through the concealer she had put on. She takes a deep breath. She needs to take care of herself right now. She has to do this for herself. 

Gently, she wipes off her makeup and washes her face. The clock on the microwave reads nine thirty when she gets herself a glass of water. She drinks it even though she doesn’t want to and goes to her closet to dig out one of her own hoodies instead of Percy’s.

With that all done, she starts to straighten some things up. The place is clean, there’s only a few glasses and plates out, but just clearing them away makes her feel like she can breathe a tiny bit easier. 

Cleaning and arranging is nice. Everything has a place and everything is easy to get in order. Unlike her emotions, which are currently at war with each other.

She feels horrible about the things she said to Percy, but also feels horribly hurt by the things he said to her. And beneath all this are all the emotions she’s been carrying all week.

But most of all, she just misses him.

She hates this. This fighting and being hurt and angry. She doesn't want it, she’s done being hurt over all this. She’s done being angry. 

So without really thinking about it, she gets up, grabs her shoes and keys and phone and walks out the door.

It doesn’t really strike her what she’s doing until she’s in front of his door, about to knock. And that’s when the anxiety comes back in full force. What is she going to say? How are they going to fix this?

She almost backs away from the door. 

Three, two one, she forces herself to knock. 

When the door opens she’s not sure if she’s relieved ior not that it’s Nico.

“Hey Annabeth, what’s up?” Nico says, shooting her a small smile. 

“Is Percy there?” she asks tentatively.

Nico sighs and the apologetic look says it all. “He isn’t…he left half an hour ago.”

Annabeth tries not to take that as a sign that some irreparable damage has been done to their relationship. She tries to swallow through the rock that seems to have formed in her throat.

“Did he say where?”

Nico shakes his head. “He said he just needed some space to think about things.” 

Annabeth nods and fails to ignore the pit in her stomach that’s forming, because even though she’s ready to address everything she never really considered if he would be or not.

“Sorry, Annabeth,” Nico says, looking genuinely very sorry.

Annabeth nods again, because she’s not sure she can trust her voice, and moves to leave. Nico shuts the door and she stops trying to gather herself.

She leans against the wall of his apartment and blinks back tears once more.

-.-

Percy’s anger had lasted the amount of time it took him to walk to his room and see a picture of him and Annabeth on his nightstand before it all had melted out of him.

Now he just feels like shit. It’s his fault they had gotten into this fight and he knows it. If only he had kept his cool, they wouldn’t have blown up at each other. It had been because of the build-up of tension, of feeling that there was something off, and then seeing Frank...it had been the last straw.

He leans back, running his hands over his face, still feeling like shit when the front door opens and Nico walks in. 

“I thought you wouldn’t be back for another couple days,” Nico says, regarding Percy’s position on the floor in front of the couch. 

“I came back early,” he mumbles through his hand.

“Yeah, I see that,” Nico comments. “Why?’ 

He hears Nico move around the room, dropping off his keys and coat. 

“I wanted to surprise Annabeth.” He’s still talking through his hands but he can feel Nico drawing closer.

“And did you?”

His silence gives Nico his answer. “Ah,” he says and Percy feels him plop next to him. “So what happened?”

Percy hesitates. He knows it’s going to sound horrible if he says it out loud. After all, it had been so dumb and so his fault.

“Come one, spit it out,” Nico urges, nudging him a little.

Percy lifts his head from his hands to look at him. Nico has the same impassive face he normally does, but there’s a hint of concern.

He sighs and tells him the story as quickly as possible, as if that’ll make it pass faster. Nico stays silent through the entire thing and when Percy finishes, he just nods his head.

“I see.”

“What do you see?” It comes out more irritated than he meant and Nico gives him a look.

“You guys got into a fight, over something stupid. It was bound to happen at some point, you’ll bounce back.”

Percy frowns. “But what if we don’t? As irrational as the things were, they were things we were both thinking…what if…?” He swallows because it’s something he hadn’t really considered until this point. “What if she just hates me after this?”

“She’s not going to hate you,” Nico assures.

“How can you know that!”

“Because I know you two, and I know you guys have handled a lot of things that could have turned way worse. So what if you slipped up this time? It happens. As long as you guys can talk it out, you’ll be fine.”

Nico’s lazy confidence gives him hope. He makes it sound like it’s the most obvious thing in the world and Percy wonders if maybe it is and he’s just assuming the worst.

“You should talk to her,” Nico urges. But Percy shakes his head. He’s not ready, not yet. He needs to figure some things out. 

Standing up, he gathers his coat, keys and phone. 

“Where are you going?” Nico asks.

“I just need to think, figure some things out.” Nico nods, and as good as he is at masking his emotions, Percy can see the worry coming through. 

“I’ll be okay,” Percy assures, looking him in the eyes. “Thank you Nico.” Nico had genuinely made him feel a whole lot better about the entire thing. 

Nico nods again and Percy slips out the front door, closing it slowly behind him. He’s not sure where exactly to go from here.

He takes a breath. He needs a space to think. 

So he turns around, goes for the door right by his apartment, and climbs up the stairs.

It’s been a month since he’s been back. His heart tugs as he remembers the last time, filled with kisses and three words that meant everything. 

He blinks hard at the cracked concrete. The chairs are still there, no longer covered in snow, but the air is still cold. He finds he likes the bite of it. He shuffles over to the chairs. His green one is a bit damp and the metal that borders it is cold, but he sits down anyway.

It reminds him of the warmer days, chilling on the chairs, watching the sunset with a soda or beer with Annabeth by his side. 

The simpler days. Where did it all go wrong?

And so he sits there, thinking and beating himself up about it all, when he hears the creak of the door opening. The flood of yellow light illuminates blonde curls and surprised eyes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I mentioned in the last authors note, and a few of you called it, it wasn’t some big reveal. Just an old friend. It just goes to show how easily things can spiral if the communication isn’t there. If Percy hadn’t felt weird about the obvious tension with the last conversation, he probably wouldn’t have reacted this way, and the same goes for Annabeth. 
> 
> But sometimes things do spiral out and the hardest thing to deal with in the fight is that it’s not just you but another person, and how they are going to react to the same situation will be different from you. Either way, as you can see, it’s coming to a head now, so it’s just up to them to work things out.
> 
> I know this isn’t a fun chapter but I hope that you guys liked it nonetheless, maybe you can find it relatable? I think little things are often the cause for bigger problems since other things haven’t really been resolved.
> 
> Please Comment! I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!  
> And as always, thanks for reading!  
> See ya! :)


	23. The Twenty-Second Chapter

The last thing Annabeth expects when she opens the door to the roof is for someone else to be there.

In hindsight it makes sense. If this is where she went to think, then it really isn't much of a surprise.

But in the moment, she's taken back, and all she can do is stand and stare as he turns around.

Dark hair swept to the side haphazardly, lean build, defined jaw and very very tired eyes (that probably mirror her own).

It's definitely him.

She steps further onto the roof, still holding the door open and letting the yellow light from inside spill out into the darkened night.

He stands up and walks over to her, and she's face to face with her boyfriend.

They stare at each other in silence, and all the things she wants to say are overwhelming her brain so much that nothing comes out. She can tell from the conflict in his eyes, he's in a similar boat.

Finally, her brain manages to latch onto something. Maybe it's the way the shadows fall across his face or how his hair is bathed in yellow that reminds her of all those months ago, when she had stepped onto the roof and seen him, like this, for the first time.

"You," she says quietly.

Recognition flares in his eyes and it's all they need to break down whatever it was that was holding them back. In one motion, he surges forward, gathering her in his arms and holding her tightly. His warmth and scent flood her senses and she relaxes in his grip because god, it's been so long since she's had this.

She feels a piece of her heart tug back into place and lets out a relieved sigh that is mimicked by Percy. It'll be okay. She knows that now.

And though it feels so good to be in his arms again, and the thought of moving is horrible, she knows they have to talk. She forces herself away and looks up at him. The shadows make it hard to see and he leans in.

"I'm sorry," he breathes, still holding on to her.

Leaning into his touch, she nods. "I'm sorry too."

And they leave it at that, resigning themselves to the quiet of the night on the roof, huddled together in warmth.

They still have a lot they need to talk about, a lot they need to figure out, but for now, this moment is enough.

Nothing's fixed, but it isn't so broken anymore.

-.-

Percy goes straight to Annabeth's after she comes back from work the next day. Part of him wants to continue like nothing had happened. And while they had been okay on the roof last night, he knows it's not alright.

Annabeth had, perhaps unwittingly, said in not so many words that he had left her. And that was completely untrue and had not been his intention at all.

That along with this jealousy business had to be cleared up, on both their ends. Because even though it had only been a sentence or so, he can still remember the way she had said it.

The words were biting and cold and so unlike the Annabeth he knew.

"Hey," he says softly when she opens the door to let him in.

She offers a small smile in return as they settle on the couch and turn towards each other. She doesn't seem to be willing to start the conversation so he pushes it forward.

"I want to say, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say those things last night. I know Frank is just a friend." He takes breath.

"I was just a little strung because I felt like there was something off from our last phone call and I left early just to see you and I was expecting a much different reception and it just caught me off guard and…" he trails off. He knows he's basically rambling, but he needs to explain himself.

"I shouldn't have picked a fight, and I'm really sorry," he ends lamely.

Annabeth is silent when he's done and it almost gets on his nerves, but he holds it back.

Finally, she nods, letting out a sigh. "Yeah, I know. It's okay."

She looks down at the throw pillow in her lap, tugging on a tassel on the end of it. "Um, I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have made it worse."

"It's okay." Another moment of silence as Percy contemplates if he should bring up her other accusation.

She's still playing with the tassel and avoiding eye contact and it sways him to the side of yes. "You said that I had left you," he says breaking the silence.

"Well, technically you did…"

Frustration nips at him again. "I didn't leave you. I'm still here aren't I? I just needed a change of pace, it has nothing to do with you."

She remains silent, though the hand that was playing with the tassel has stopped. Her silence is grating.

"Say something, Annabeth! I need you to talk to me, I can't read your mind!"

Finally she looks up at him. "You're mad."

He throws his hands up. "I'm not-" he cuts himself off and stands up. "I'm not mad, I'm just frustrated. You're closing yourself off."

"Maybe you should leave," she says so quietly that he barely hears it.

It stops him dead in his tracks. Does she just want him gone? Is that it?

He huffs angrily and actually almost turns towards the door because clearly that's what she wants. Something stops him right before he does though and when he looks down at her the anger leaves as quickly as it had come. She's bent over and hiding her face with her hair, shoulders drooping and he realizes that he doesn't want this. He doesn't want this fight.

"No," he says loudly. "We need to figure this out. I need you to talk to me." He walks over to kneel in front of her.

She looks at him and he sees the tears starting to form in her eyes and he's so glad that he didn't leave.

She takes a deep breath. "I know, you're right. I shouldn't have said that last night. I know you didn't leave me, you just needed something different. I just…" she shakes her head angrily but he realizes the frustration is actually towards herself.

"I just, for some reason, couldn't help but feel like you had. I just…" she looks at him with such despair in her eyes it hurt. "I just felt so lonely and I don't know why, but things have just been really shitty for me recently, but that's not your fault and I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry." She ends it with a shaky breath.

He had no idea she had been feeling like that. He grabs her hands. "It's okay, Annabeth. Why didn't you tell me earlier? Maybe I could have helped."

She shakes her head. "I didn't want to ruin your good time with this bullshit. It's irrational, I know it is."

He squeezes her hands. "Doesn't matter, Annabeth. I want you to tell me about this kind of thing. I'm here for you, you know."

He brings one of her hands to his lips, brushing a light kiss on her knuckles.

She nods. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I'll…I'll work on it."

He wants to push a little more, but he knows that this is what she can give at this time so he nods.

"Are we…are we okay?" he asks instead. Last time he had asked this question, it hadn't been okay.

This time though, she's in front of him. He watches as she takes another deep breath, squares her shoulder and looks him in the eyes.

"Yeah, we are."

And he believes it.

"Are you okay?"

There's a pause before she answers. "I'll get there."

And that's enough.

-.-

She told Percy she'll get there, but she's not entirely sure how. Because while she's doing slightly better, she also knows that there's a lot she still has to figure out if she's going to come out of this.

The thoughts are distracting enough that she doesn't realize she's overfilled her water bottle until the water drips over the top and splashes her hand.

"Are you okay?" a voice asks from beside her. She turns to find the deep chocolate eyes and kind face of Hazel staring back at her.

Any other person she would have brushed it off, but Hazel is a different case. Something about her always made Annabeh feel like she could be honest.

"Not really." There's a surprising relief at being able to say those words. Hazel smiles sympathetically.

"What's wrong?"

Oh, where would she even begin? Too many thoughts, too many things that hurt, and that emptiness...how could she possibly ever say all that.

"Too much," she responds. "I've got too many things on my mind and I can't even begin to find what's wrong."

Hazel is silent as she uncaps her own water bottle and moves towards the fountain to fill it up.

"Well," she begins slowly. "A lot of the time, the problems we think we have aren't the ones that need to be solved."

Annabeth's brow scrunches up in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"It's like, you may think that your problem is that you're jealous of what someone else has or is doing or whatever. But really, it's not any of those surface level things, it's actually what you feel about yourself." She caps her water bottle and turns back towards Annabeth.

"Your problem won't be solved by simply acquiring or doing the thing that you were jealous of because that's not the problem. The problem is what caused you to think you needed that in the first place, and that's the solution you need to find."

"That's just an easy example but there are other things like that. People think their problem is that their roommate doesn't do the dishes, but really it could be that they feel ignored, or unheard, or disrespected. The dishes are just the outlet for the deeper problem."

She lays a hand on Annabeth's arm, looking at her kindly. "I don't know what your problems are Annabeth, and maybe it's something that doesn't go all that deep, but I think you should try to dig deeper and find the core of it. That might help."

Hazel is most definitely a psychic. She has magical powers and no one will ever be able to convince her otherwise.

She wordlessly nods as they walk back towards their desks and only manages a broken thank you, when Hazel turns at the fork in the hallway.

"Of course," she replies with another kind smile and Annabeth ambles back to her desk.

She's got some major soul searching to do.

-.-

Percy is all too aware of the arrival of Valentine's day and all too aware of the fact that he's been unemployed for a month now. It's _so_ disheartening. He doesn't even feel like applying to any more places because he's not entirely sure he can handle another rejection email.

"It takes time," Leo says over the phone. Leo, like him, had been let go once the project had ended. Leo, unlike him, had also been offered a permanent job at the company.

Percy tries not to feel resentment for that.

He sighs. He knows it takes time, he's been through it before. It doesn't make anything easier, though.

"I know," he responds. "It just sucks."

"Yeah," Leo sounds genuinely sorry. "I'm sorry, man. I'll try to see if they're still hiring and put in a good word for you," Leo offers. It's nice of him, but Percy can't stand to stay on this topic any longer.

"How's Calypso?" he asks instead, trying to veer the conversation in a different direction.

"Great!" Leo responds enthusiastically. "She asked about you actually. She wants to meet up, do a double date sort of thing. If Annabeth's down, that is."

Percy's honestly not sure if she haven't been fantastic in that department either, and though they have recovered from the fights, they aren't in the best places individually and it's causing a strain.

He wishes he hadn't veered the conversation in this direction.

"Yeah, I mean, I'll ask her…listen man, I got to go, but it was nice catching up with you." He feels bad but the conversation isn't helping him and he needs to end it. Nothing against Leo, he's…well, he's mostly just jealous.

"Oh sure, same dude. Hope to hear from you soon, I'll be on the lookout for that job."

"Thanks man, see ya." After he hangs up Percy rubs his face, that simple conversation draining everything out of him.

He's just tired. So tired. His writing has halted, the job applications aren't going anywhere and him and Annabeth are still a little off.

Scratch that, he's exhausted.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did any of you catch the reference in the beginning there? A lot of character focused stuff in this chapter, as expected out of a fight. With both of them being in not great places the struggle to overcome the fight is also difficult, but not impossible.
> 
> A few of you were able to relate to the last chapter and I'm glad, not that you had a rough time, but rather I hope you see that though these things happen, you can overcome them and work towards better. And you're most definitely not alone.
> 
> I really want to take a moment to thank all of you who've read this far, I know that the story is not at this great happy place and I appreciate you guys for sticking through it regardless. Much like life I suppose.
> 
> Please Comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!  
> And as always, thanks for reading!  
> See ya! :)


	24. The Twenty-Third Chapter

It starts out alright. It really does. He comes over a bottle of cheap wine she likes. They pour some out, cuddle on the couch, and catch up on the day.

It's nice and cozy and the lowkey Valentine's Day she was down for. But somewhere in the middle of it, she can't even place when, it starts going south.

Maybe it's the question about how the job search was going, or about his writing, but either way he ends up frustrated enough that it morphs into anger.

He's been a little high-strung lately, she's noticed it, and he just snaps at her.

"It's not your problem." The words are biting and she physically recoils at the tone. Many things come to mind, but she latches onto the specific words he said. It is her problem. Not in the same way or as much as him, but all of his problems are hers too. They're in this together. But at the moment it doesn't feel like it, and she's just shocked.

"Excuse me?"

He huffs and looks away, pushing her away to stand up. "Whatever, I'll figure it out."

She follows his lead and stands up, defiant as ever. "Um, hello, I'm here too you know. You don't need to go it alone."

His eyes are dark and he growls out the words. "It's easy to say that when you have a stable job, okay, and you don't need to worry about paying rent or helping out with groceries!"

It's a slap in the face. Yes, she has a stable job, but it's not fair to her to have him throw it in her face like it's a bad thing.

She's about to yell back when Hazel's words come to her. This is not the problem. She takes a breath to calm herself. She knows he didn't mean it, that it came from a place of anger.

In a calmer tone she speaks again. "I can help you Percy, you just need to let me in."

He crosses his arms and looks away. "I don't need your charity."

Now that pisses her off. She's just trying to help and be supportive like a good girlfriend and he's just throwing away all the care and love she has to give. It's worse than an outright rejection.

"It's not charity!" She knows she's raising her voice but she can't help it. "It's me trying to help you because I care about you!"

"Yeah, well, forget it!" he yells back and moves as if to leave.

Oh no, she is not letting him walk out on her again. She grabs his shoulder and tugs him back around. "I will not!"

He relents and turns back to her but the next words out of his mouth aren't as promising.

"Why won't you let it _go_!" he shouts back.

"Because you're my boyfriend!" she all but screeches.

The words stop him in his tracks.

"Because I care about you!" She's on a roll now. "Because I like having you in my life! Because I don't want to see you struggling!"

"Because..." Her voice gives out from all the yelling, "Because I love you."

She slumps her shoulders and he's fully turned towards her now, staring at her with wide eyes.

"Because I want this to work. Because I," she chokes up, "I don't want to let this go…." She whispers the last bit, tears starting to form.

He tentatively steps closer to her, reaching out an arm to gently touch her shoulder. She doesn't move, she can't even bring herself to look at him.

He moves even closer.

Her vision is a little blurry and she stares at the wobbly lines on her rug.

A second later he's wrapped her up in a hug that she immediately relaxes into. She can feel wetness on her head and realizes that he's crying too. She hugs him back tighter.

She doesn't know how long they stand there like that, just holding onto each other for dear life. And when they do part, she can see he's just as messed up as she is. It makes her feel a little bit better, a smile gracing her face for the first time.

This is ridiculous, this whole thing is so...stupid. And then it hits her that she's one of those people now, those people who fight on Valentine's Day. Her life is either a bad romcom or just really depressing and she can't help but laugh about it.

He looks at her as if she's insane, which to be fair, she probably does look the part with makeup everywhere, tears and a runny nose.

"What?" he asks.

"We just fought on Valentine's Day and I feel like I'm in a bad romcom."

He just stares at her for a bit before finally cracking a smile. "It's kind of depressing, isn't it?"

She nods, moving to get some tissues to mop up her face. "We're crying in the club." She holds on out for him. He accepts and they both proceed to clean up a little.

Percy stares at the tissue in his hand. "You'd think this would be for something else…"

She rolls her eyes but it's the most normal she's felt in such a long time. She walks over to the kitchen and fills up two glasses of water. "I think we're done with the wine."

He nods and takes a seat on the kitchen table. "Now all we need is some wilting flowers and the image is complete."

She simply hands him his cup and sits beside him on the table. The water feels good against her raw throat from the raised voices and crying.

"Are we really about to have a talk at the dining table?" Percy asks. He's nervous, she can tell, and is trying to cover it up with humor but they need to figure their shit out.

This can't keep happening.

They sit in silence for a minute while Annabeth tries to figure out how to start the conversation but, surprisingly, Percy beats her to it.

"I want to too," he says quietly. She looks up and sees something indescribable in his eyes. She can tell that he's serious, all traces of humour swept aside.

"I want this to work too." He pauses and tentatively grabs her hand. "I don't want to let this go either…I'm sorry."

He doesn't say any more, but that's all they need: honesty.

"It's okay," she replies after a moment.

They don't need to get into the specifics of the apology, they know what happened. They were both there. The simple words are enough, coming from a genuine place.

"You need to let me in," she says after some more silence. "Just like you said to me last time. I'm here for you, you need to talk to me."

He hesitates upon hearing the words. She knows it's hard, that he probably doesn't want to get into it. But not getting into it is what had led to all these fights, not talking about it had led to to this moment where they didn't have a choice but to talk about it.

They need to get to the core of it. He _needs_ to talk about it.

And he does.

He pours out everything he's been thinking and feeling, the frustration, the feeling of not being good enough, the jealousy towards people who have stable incomes, the inability to write that's suddenly overtaken him. Everything.

And she listens.

Listens to it all.

"That's why I thought if I could visit Grover it might be better. I was just so tired of the same thing every day, rejection after rejection. I had hoped I could maybe turn to my writing but I couldn't even do that. I've had this dream for such a long time and it was falling apart because of my own inability. I just felt so useless. Seeing Grover was just a way to feel like I was getting away from it for a while."

He's got tears in his eyes and she just listens and nods and pulls him into a long hug when he's done.

He takes a sip of water and wipes his eyes before turning to her.

"How are you doing?" he asks softly. She hesitates, she doesn't want to make this about her.

But her thoughts trail off as she meets his eyes. He's asking her, truly asking her for the truth. No lies, no cover ups. The truth.

So she spills out everything that's been crowding her mind for the past month or so. She tells him about the weird emptiness that's been following her for months, about how alone she felt when she was forced to confront it, her guilt at knowing she had nothing to complain about and yet still feeling shitty.

"When you left, I knew deep down that it wasn't against me. It's just all of a sudden I felt so lonely and everything that I've been pushing away came back to stare me in the face. The truth is that I'm just floating by. I mean, you coming into my life changed everything and I felt like I made progress, but with you gone there was no distraction and I realized that I really don't know what I want to do in my life. I guess—" she shoots him an embarrassed look— "I guess I was just jealous that you got to get away from it all, and that you have this dream. I might have a stable job but I don't have a passion that drives my life like you."

She stops to take a breath. "I just felt so alone that the feeling of being left kind of consumed me."

Percy squeezes her hand. "I thought about you all the time Annabeth, every other thing reminded me of you. Juniper's Doctor Who coasters, a book from the airport, even this little girl with the same kind of hair you have who was running through the coffee shop chased by her mom. I never meant to make you feel like I was trying to get away from you."

She nods, squeezing his hand back. "I know, and I should have been so much better over our conversations. I know I made the situation worse by not being open with you."

He smiles back ruefully. "I think we both did that."

They sit in silence, looking into each other's eyes and there's a tug in her heart that makes her realize that even though she's been with Percy for a while now, this is the closest she's ever felt to him.

She stands up, tugging his hand so he does too and simply pulls him in for another hug. It feels like the weight of the world has been lifted off her chest and for the first time in forever she feels like okay.

"Thank you," she tells him, looking up to meet his eyes.

"For what?"

"For telling me everything. For opening up. For letting me in…"

He pulls her closer and kisses her on the head. "Thank you for doing the same."

She smiles and closes her eyes, leaning into him more.

This feels better. This feels better than anything they had before. This feels like something new.

"Well, you know me, I'm a slut for open and honest communication." She turns around to see his face.

His eyes are twinkling when he responds, "Oh yeah, that's definitely my kink."

And they both burst out laughing and she tugs him towards the couch, once again wrapping them both in a blanket. She pulls up a Youtube video and he makes a comment that he can see right through her thinly veiled plot of trying to get him into Youtube. She throws him a look of fake innocence and says she has no clue what he means.

He rolls his eyes with a grin like usual and she kisses it off like usual and it feels so _familiar_ that it hurts in the best possible way.

Except this time, right before the video begins he grabs her hand and whispers. "We're not going to give up on this, we'll make it work."

And as the video loads in, she feels something in her heart agree.

-.-

It's hard.

They promise to work together to work through it, but it's still hard.

Like when Percy's had a particularly rough day. Annabeth has learned that instead of questioning too much, she should just cuddle until he feels good enough to tell her about it. But today it feels like too much.

He gently pulls away and she turns to look at him. Concern covers her beautiful face and he rests his hand on her cheek for a moment before completely pulling away.

"Hey babe, I think I need to go…just clear my mind a bit." He's careful with the word choice but he can still see her recoil at them. He mentally curses. This is what he's most afraid of.

"It's nothing against you," he rushes to explain, "I promise. You're…You're amazing. I just need some air or something."

She nods and he can tell she's hurt but trying to hide it. Fuck, this is not what he wanted.

He grabs her hands and pulls her close. "Hey," he whispers, "I'm okay, I promise. And you're okay and we're okay. I just need a sec."

And with that he pulls her in for a kiss. He tries to pour all his love and care into it so she knows he's not trying to leave her. She responds and he already feels a little better.

"I'll text you, okay?" he says standing up.

She nods, clearly blinking back tears. He knows he's hurt her. "I can stay," he offers quietly.

She sniffles and shakes her head. "No, it's okay. I'll be okay. Take your time."

He knows she's trying, trying for him, even if it's killing her.

"We're not giving up, we're making this work, okay?" he says.

"Yeah." She whispers back.

"I'll text you, and I'll see you soon."

She nods again and it kills him to leave even though there's a part of his brain yearning for some fresh air. He just needs to get it out, he needs to take a walk or just write or something.

He knows what she's feeling. He had felt it last week when she had asked him for some time last Wednesday because she just needed it.

And as much as he understood the sentiment, he hadn't been able to stop the pang of hurt that had hit him.

He gives her a reassuring smile as he walks out the door and makes a pact to come back or text her soon.

It's hard.

But they're making it work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? Finally some good, open, honest communication! I don't know about you but I found it satisfying at least. And of course, that's just the beginning. The follow-through is the hardest thing, but they're pushing through it, making it work.
> 
> Dealing with problems like this, finances, or depression or just a rough patch in a relationship is hard because even if you can identify the issue, there needs to be a consistent commitment to the follow-through of working past it. And I wanted to also address that in this chapter of open an honest communication.
> 
> I hope that you guys liked this, that It feels more satisfying and hopeful than ever before.
> 
> Please Comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts!  
> And as always, thanks for reading!  
> See ya! :)


	25. The Twenty-Fourth Chapter

Percy misses Annabeth. Sure, he'd seen her a day ago, but he just _really_ wants to see her again. In his head, it's been too long. However, Annabeth is busy tonight.

So he's sitting on the kitchen floor missing his girlfriend with an Oreo rolled just out of reach. He stares at the black and white cookie despondently. He had initially been trying to locate said Oreo that had fallen, but it turns out he was the fool all along because now he's fallen and he isn't about to get up.

He toys with his phone and wonders if he should text her even though she's busy. The hesitation along with how his hair is falling flat against his eyes, makes him feel like he's fifteen again.

The best thing about Nico is that he doesn't ask questions. A minute late he's plopped down beside him on the floor.

"How was your day?' Percy asks normally, as if they aren't literal children sitting on cold kitchen tiles.

Nico shrugs. "Good, Will stopped by to harass me."

Percy rolls his eyes. "Harass," he repeats making air quotes.

Nico lets out a small smile. "What about you, how was your day?"

"I miss Annabeth." He can't help just how whiny the words come out.

Nico raises an eyebrow. "You saw her, like, a day ago right?"

Percy pouts, completing the image. "Yeah, but still." He might be a whiny bitch. (He can admit it.)

"So what you're saying," Nico starts in a tone that's rather patronizing, "is that you miss your girlfriend."

He takes a moment to shoot Percy a look. "And you can't just tell her that?"

"She's busy."

"So?"

Percy doesn't respond and stares at his phone again. Nico groans. "Oh my god! She's not some random crush you need to debate over texting. She's your girlfriend, you're already in a _relationship,_ just do it!"

And with that he gets up from the floor, leaving Percy open-mouthed. You know, when you say it like that….

He sends the text and brings the leftover Oreos to Nico's room.

-.-

Annabeth's aimlessly scrolling through Youtube because she's caught up on all her subscriptions and Piper had to cancel their plans for tonight.

Even though her finger is scrolling, her mind is unfocused at the task at hand. She's been doing a lot better but she still needs to figure out the part of her life that still feels off. Aside from hanging out with her friends and boyfriend, she doesn't really have any big dreams. She doesn't even have hobbies she could turn into a dream. What does she even do?

Her eyes flick to the screen in front of her and, oh yeah, that's what she does. She watches an absurd amount of Youtube in her spare time.

But she really should get a hobby or something. Just to give her life something more, some direction. She's so tired of feeling lost.

Up until this point, she's always known what direction her life was going. Do well in school to get into college, do well in college to get a degree, use the degree to get a good job and then what? She's done all that. She did school and college and degree and she's got a job.

Now what? What's the path now?

She wishes she was like Percy, with a big overarching dream that she could focus on, but she isn't. She doesn't even have hobbies. She just watches Youtube.

"Everyone needs a creative outlet," Percy had once said…maybe he was right. But she isn't a writer like he is, she can't even begin to come up with a plot or characters.

She doesn't really paint or draw or anything. She had taken an art course in college once and it had been an enjoyable enough experience but it just wasn't her thing.

Then again, nothing was really her thing.

Well, except for Youtube.

An absurd thought flashes through her head. What if?

Nah, that's too crazy, she couldn't possibly…

Her thoughts are cut off by her phone buzzing. She picks it up to see a text from Percy simply stating he misses her.

With a smirk on her face she calls her boyfriend over. She might not have an official hobby, but kissing him...well, that could come close.

-.-

There are only rainbows after rain, his mom had always told him…or was that Andy Grammar…or was it his mom copying Andy Grammar...or what if Andy Grammer was copying his mom! Now there's a conspiracy theory.

Either way, whoever it was, they…well, they was right, he be chillin' now.

And by that he's doing the opposite of chillin', which is pacing around his living room making wild gestures with his hands while Nico seeks refuge on the couch.

"I can't believe it," Percy says, probably for the ten thousandth time but he _really_ can't believe it. Nico doesn't even justify it with a response.

"I can't believe it."

Nico stands up and reaches for his shoulders to stop him mid-trek. "I know," he says, "I know you can't believe it, and I'm happy for you, dude, but could you please stop walking in circles? It's making me dizzy."

Percy slumps to the floor and lays on his back.

"I can't believe it."

Nico sighs. "Well, that's one thing at least."

"I got an interview."

"Congrats, I'm happy for you."

Percy sits up so quickly it actually makes him dizzy but he can't find it in himself to care. When Nico comes into focus again, he speaks. "I got an interview."

Nico nods. "I know, and I am never giving you Red Bull again."

"It's been two and a half months Nico, two and a half months of rejection emails, and I finally have an interview."

Nico's voice softens. "I know it's been tough."

"I could kiss Leo."

"I don't think Annabeth would be happy about that." Nico replies amusedly.

Percy lays back down. "I owe him, dude, he got me an _interview_. He's actually the best."

"Got a new best friend, I see."

Percy's eyes widen and he sits up too fast again causing more dizziness, and wonders if he has eaten yet. "No, Nico, I'm not replacing you buddy."

Nico laughs. It's as rare as getting an interview and Percy finds himself grinning along. His heart full, he lays back down and grins at the bumpy ceiling.

Maybe March was the rainbow he needed all along.

-.-

Piper is in the middle of regaling her tale of accidentally meeting Jason's ex at a coffee shop the other day when Annabeth's phone rings.

It's Percy and she frowns at the screen because he usually doesn't call when he knows she's out with friends.

She shoots Piper an apologetic look, but Piper's a step ahead. "Pick it up."

So she does with an increasing sense of worry that maybe something bad has happened. "Hello?"

"Annabeth!" Percy's voice is so loud she holds the phone away from her ear.

"What's up? Are you okay?"

"No!" he yells back and the anxiety grows for another second before—"I'm better than okay! I'm great, because guess what!"

She shoots Piper a wide-eyed look because he's speaking so loud she has no doubt Piper has heard every word of this rollercoaster of a conversation.

"I GOT A JOB!"

She breaks out into a wide grin, the happiness contagious even over the phone. "Oh my god, congratulations! I knew the interview had gone well!"

When Percy had come to her about the news of an interview, she had been excited but it hadn't lasted for too long since Percy became convinced by the day that he was going to do poorly. She's been reassuring his anxiety since, telling him it's going to be okay. Hearing this is the best outcome and everything she's been hoping for.

"Annabeth. I finally got a job. After two and a half months of rejections, I finally got a job." He's rambling and she can't even fault him. He had clearly just found out and it hadn't quite set in yet.

"I know babe, I'm so proud of you."

"I need to thank Leo for getting me in the door, he really pulled through."

She nods. She's more thankful for Leo than he'll ever know— she knows how much this job stuff had been pulling down her boyfriend's mental health.

"Well, tell him that we'll all go out to celebrate together, drinks on us."

"Yeah, I will. Sorry to bother you when you're hanging with Piper. Tell Piper I say hi!"

Annabeth looks over at Piper who's heard every word of the conversation. "Hi Percy," she responds. "Congrats!"

"Thanks!" She can hear the grin in his voice. "Sorry about butting in on your time with Annabeth."

Piper smiles. "It's fine, you can make it up to me though. I just realized we haven't been on a double date yet."

Annabeth adds the plans Percy's promising to her list of things to smile about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! Some good news and happier moments! Also some more Nico in this chapter making it feel like old times :)
> 
> And though the story is obviously not over, it's finally looking up and I want to take a moment to thank all of you who have stuck with it in the darker times. I know the last few chapters haven't been light-hearted or fun and I appreciate that you guys still read through it. I hope that this chapter makes up for some of that.
> 
> I have a lot of things to say about you guys, the readers, regarding this story, and I'm planning on writing a huge note when we finally get to the end, but if I can take a second just to add this: you guys have made this story so much more than what it is. Truly, I never thought this would be received the way it is and you, the readers, have changed my opinion on my own story. Thank you so so so much for all of your feedback and comments and reviews because it's truly changed so much.
> 
> But I'll cut off myself off there and let you move on with your day. I hope this was a better chapter for you guys to read!
> 
> Please Comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts!  
> And as always, thanks for reading!  
> See ya! :)


	26. The Twenty-Fifth Chapter

The warmer weather brings a freshness to the world that Annabeth realizes she's been missing. The darkness of winter is replaced by, admittedly, just clouds and rainy weather, but the air feels different.

She feels less...stifled. Maybe it's that she can shed a few layers due to the warmth or just because spring is cropping up, she doesn't know. But either way, it feels like a beginning.

And maybe that's what motivates her to pursue a crazy little idea that had popped into her head a couple of weeks ago and persisted.

It's a rainy day that she finds herself propping up her phone against a couple of books and angling a lamp towards a plain white wall.

She pauses once she's done, sits on the chair she had dragged to the little scene, and thinks _this is so dumb_.

What is she even doing? Who does she think she is?

She hesitates right before she reaches towards her phone. This is a dumb idea. She stares at herself on the screen as her brain tries to convince her how stupid it is of her to think she can do this.

Also, the wall behind her is painfully plain.

How come no one talks about how difficult it is to set a backdrop in any of their videos? Actually, there are probably videos on that. There are videos on everything.

But instead of pulling up the app to search for it, she gets up and digs out an old whiteboard she had used in college. She hangs it on the wall behind her and writes: How to Youtube?

Before she can properly think about it, she leans forward and presses record.

"Hi, I'm Annabeth, and I just wanted to ask, does anyone know how to Youtube? Because I'm not even creative enough to come up with a backdrop…"

By the time she's done, her phone is complaining of low storage and she's not sure what she's even said. But somewhere in the rambling, she found herself genuinely having fun. It might be the dumbest video ever, but there's a sense of accomplishment she hasn't felt in a while.

-.-

Annabeth doesn't know what to do with this secret video.

She hasn't re-watched it, unable to bring herself to. She might have felt satisfied for making it, but she knows it's really dumb.

Honestly, what was she thinking?

She looks dubiously at the file that she transferred from her phone onto her laptop. What does she do now?

She doesn't know how to edit, sure, she's messed around with the default video editing software on her phone once to make a video collage of pictures for Piper's birthday, but this isn't just pictures and music.

And even _if_ she did try to edit it, there's a lot she'd need to learn. It would take time. Glancing at the clock, she notes it's nine pm... not too late, but still.

_What else are you going to do tonight, then?_

She sighs and opens up the software. She does have a degree in Computer Science, so she should be able to figure out an editing software, and she's watched enough Youtube to know what kind of edits are entertaining.

Armed with that knowledge, she gets to work.

-.-

With the start of Percy's job, his creativity (and as a result, his book) have been suffering. (Though to be fair, they weren't that stellar before either). And while he's grateful to have a source of income, the 9 to 5 thing is just as much of a drag as it had been before.

He had never really imagined himself in corporate America doing the whole 9 to 5 thing. But then again, he doesn't think anyone really does.

But it's not that bad. It's enough to be stable and, to be fair, gives him enough free time when he's home to work on his book or see his girlfriend.

He's just sort of...stuck right now.

Not being sure of what comes next is one thing, but on top of that, he had read a short story online that had been so well written that it had made him question his own abilities.

Sure, he's been writing for several years, so he knows he isn't horrible. But when he reads other people's writing it's always a slap of reality that there is _so_ much better content out there and he will never be _that_ good.

He wants so badly to write something as profound and intricate as the things he's read, but it feels like such a far-off task. It feels like he doesn't have the right words in the right way to make anything remotely memorable.

It's immensely disheartening and he finds himself hating the book he's spent so long writing. It's stupid and dumb and he needs to consult an expert.

He goes to his mom.

"You need to visit more," his mom scolds when he shows up. He nods. She's right, he really does. The last time he had visited had been Christmas and a quick visit after New Years to drop off some cupcakes he'd baked for Lily.

He doesn't realize just how much he's missed everyone until he's there and Paul's giving him a smile and Lily almost runs him over with a hug.

"I promise I will." And he plans on sticking to that.

They settle on the dining table with a plate of cookies and he's just finished catching them up on his job when Paul tells them he needs to take Lily to dance practice. Five minutes after they've left his mom turns to him. "So," she starts. "What's going on?"

He's never been able to figure out how his mom always knows when something is bugging him. She had even been able to tell when he had called back in January after his fight with Annabeth.

He gives up on questioning her about it and jumps straight into it. "I suck at writing."

She raises an eyebrow.

"Other people are better at writing," he rephrases.

"So?"

He's taken back at her frankness. He doesn't know how to answer.

"Does that mean you're just never going to write?" she continues, passing him a cookie like she's talking about the weather and not his hopes and dreams. "You can't just give up because other people are good at something you do."

"Writing is not about comparing, it's about creating. You can't compare what comes from the heart."

Percy feels like he's got the wind sucked out of him. Simple enough, but somehow, he just needed to hear that. He nods wordlessly and takes a bite of his cookie just to have something to do as his mind races a mile a minute.

"So tell me, what's really stopping you?" She passes him a glass of milk and he feels like he's ten years old talking about some trouble at school.

"I'm stuck," he admits. "I don't know where to take it."

But it's more than that, because he's started to doubt if his plot is even good enough or the characters engaging enough, or the story even worth telling. He doesn't know if this thing he's poured so much of his life into is even worth it and he's just stuck.

"I don't know if it's good enough."

His mom reads what isn't said. "I remember getting stuck on my book. I started questioning everything and didn't know what to do."

He looks at her eagerly. "So what did you do?"

"Kept writing." She shrugs. "I didn't hate it and figured something was better than nothing. You can always edit writing you don't like, but you can't edit nothing."

Percy goes back home with the sweetness of chocolate chip in his mouth, a swarm of thoughts in his mind, and an itch to pick up his pen once again.

-.-

Annabeth unintentionally intentionally makes a joke about being a Youtuber the next time she hangs out with Percy.

To her surprise he just shrugs. "Go for it."

"What?" She's flabbergasted. She might have been trying to float the idea, but never had she thought her boyfriend would support it so casually.

"I said go for it." He's setting out plates for the takeout they had ordered. "Why don't you make Youtube videos?"

"Wha— you can't just— it's a process— it's not something— " Suddenly she can't even formulate a proper sentence.

He raises an eyebrow at her over a can of freshly-opened Pepsi and she feels the need to defend herself. "It's not just something you _do_. You need to have the proper equipment, and some good ideas, and you have to edit, and it's a whole thing."

He sighs. "Annabeth, why do you watch Youtube?"

She frowns at the question, he knows this. "Because I enjoy it."

"Why?"

She shrugs, not seeing where this line of questioning is going at all. "I don't know, because I like the people I follow."

"Why do you follow those people?"

She throws her hands up in the air. "I don't know, how am I supposed to explain that? I just do. They're genuinely good people who make me smile or laugh and they care about things."

He nods. "Exactly."

The confusion must show because he leans forward, looking at her intently. "You don't need fancy equipment or crazy ideas or anything to do that. You just need—"

He breaks off and puts a hand over her heart.

"So," he says gently. "I think you have everything you need."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Creative couples are my weakness lol But really, a very creativity heavy chapter because lets be real, creativity is a form of self-expression and can lead to growth. A few of you had guessed youtuber Annabeth, and seems like she's gonna try it out :)
> 
> Percy is me in this chapter. Everything he expresses about his writing is verbatim what I felt writing this fic a year and a half ago. I'd gotten to the point where I was almost 30,000 words into my NaNoWriMo and I just thought that this story was not good. Not horrible, but not engaging enough for anyone to really care about it. 
> 
> And you guys have transformed that. The amount of support I've gotten is mind-boggling because I truly got to this point where I was like no one wants to read this hyper realistic fic about life after college. So thank you so much! To everyone who has read and especially those of you who comment. Hearing your feedback made me understand that this might have actually been worth writing and posting. And I'm more grateful for that than you could know. I spent a month writing this and six months re-writing and editing it, so to know that all that work is well-received…thank you, truly.
> 
> And the takeaway is not that you need other people's validation, I kept writing because editing is always an option and writing (or anything creative) should be for you first before anyone else. Ultimately I learned that this is the book I needed to write. So to anyone working on a creative project who's doubting themselves, keep going. Keep going for you :)
> 
> So Please Comment! I really would love to hear your thoughts on this!  
> And as always, thanks for reading!  
> See ya! :)


	27. The Twenty-Sixth Chapter

Percy bounces nervously. He doesn’t have to do this, he knows that. But after convincing Annabeth to put herself out there and make a Youtube video, it’s only fair for him to do the same and share his writing.

Even though a lot of random people have read it, it’s ten times harder for him to share it with someone he knows. It’s like sharing a part of himself.

He looks over at the view from The Roof™ and takes a breath to calm his nerves. It’s the first warm day of the year and the sun is actually peeking out from behind the last clouds of the day. The sight is so familiar, it calms his nerves and reminds him of a day so many months ago when he had stared at the buildings to calm himself over a note.

And maybe that’s why he’s called her here. There’s probably also some symbolism about how this was the first place he told her about his writing, but mostly he’s just glad for the fresh air.

He’s just finished wiping up the lawn chairs with an old rag when she shows up. 

“I bet you’re wondering why I’ve gathered you all here today,” he says in a deep voice as the door swings open.

She rolls her eyes and strides forward, looking better than she has in a while.

Not that she’s been looking bad, but in the light of the faint sunset, she glows. Her eyes don’t have bags under them anymore and there’s a hint of a perpetual smile on her face. Even her hair is let down from its usual ponytail and the way she carries herself is different, lighter.

He finds himself staring. She sweeps forward and pulls him into a kiss that really doesn’t help his brain functions.

“How are you doing?” he manages when they pull apart. 

“Well…” she bites her lip, a habit she’s recently developed, “I uh, I edited, or attempted to edit a video I recorded.”

“How did it go?” He leads her towards the lawn chairs.

“It was actually fun, I mean I had to figure out the mechanics and what I was doing and it took a really long time but,” she breaks away and he can see a satisfaction in her eyes, “I did it.”

He nods. He recognizes the feeling, the rush of getting so completely invested in a creative project and actually coming out the other end and finishing it.

“I’m proud of you.” He smiles at her.

She smiles back and nudges him. “So what’s this about?”

Right. The nervousness comes back now that they’re talking about him again. “Well, I um, I was wondering if you wanted to read some of my writing.”

Her eyes widen and she turns to him, clearly shocked by the turn of events. “Really?

He can feel his face flush. “Um, yeah, if you want.”

“Of course! Percy, I’d love to!”

Her excitement eases his nerves a bit and he hands her some papers he’d printed, an excerpt of his book. 

“Um, so this is just a part of it, probably won’t make much sense because it’s a rando…” He trails off when he realizes she’s ignoring him and reading the words instead.

He sighs and sits back in the chair, knee still bouncing. Staring at the rooftops and sky in front of him, he wonders how people do this, share something like this. What if— what if she hates it? What if she thinks it’s badly written or horrible or—he cuts himself off.

Unproductive Spiraling will not make the situation better, so he focuses instead at trying to admire the view. But it’s difficult and he awkwardly and anxiously waits there for another five minutes, trying not to stare at her, as she finishes the pages he’s given her.

He sees her get to the end of the last page and frown. Great, she hates it, she’ll want to break up with him it’s over—

“But what happens next!” 

The exclamation startles him and he looks over to where she’s staring at him with more of a pout than a frown.

“Huh?”

She holds out the papers. “What’s next? You can’t just leave it like that! I want more!”

He’s still too surprised to respond. “Um…I don’t know?”

She throws her hands in the air and huffs. “Then why did you give me something so compelling when there wasn’t anything after it!”

He should maybe take her frustration more seriously, but he can’t stop smiling. It’s one of the best things a writer can hear.

-.-

“Do it,” Piper says as she sits down on the couch and hands her a mug of tea.

“What?” Annabeth responds, though she has a pretty good idea of what Piper’s talking about.

“You’re hesitating on whether or not to upload your video and I’m saying, do it.”

“What, no, that’s not — ” Piper holds up a hand that cuts off her stuttering.

“You can’t hide it from me,” Piper replies matter of factly.

“How did you know?” She knows Piper won’t answer the question but she, to this day, has not been able to figure out how Piper knows these things. It’s a little scary, actually, and basically solidifies in Annabeth’s head that they can never stop being best friends. She knows too much.

“Because you’re my best friend, now, why aren’t you doing it?” Piper settles in, clearly ready to not drop the subject.

“I don’t know,” she sighs. “It feels...silly.” It really does. The video she made isn’t about anything in particular and the edits are elementary at best and she’s _tried_ to make it funny but given that there isn’t really an objective, she just doesn’t feel like it’s any good.

“Annabeth, why do you watch Youtube?”

“Not this again, Percy went through this one already.”

Piper frowns. “He did? He’s stealing my thunder.”

Annabeth smiles amusedly as Piper pouts at her. “I’ll let you two figure that one out.”

Piper takes a sip of her tea, still frowning and clearly thinking hard. After a moment of silence, she snaps forward so fast it startles Annabeth.

“I can do you one better, when do you watch Youtube?” She’s smiling triumphantly and Annabeth doesn’t see where she’s going with it.

“Um…when I get home from work?”

“And?” Piper asks expectantly.

“When I have free time?”

“And?”

“I don’t know, when I’m feeling down?” That had been especially true a few months ago, she had found herself turning towards Youtube to take her mind off things in her life and stop her eyes from tearing up.

“Exactly!” Piper says, sounding a little too much like Percy. “And what do you watch during those times.”

Annabeth shrugs. “The peoples I like, their funny videos, or vlogs or some dumb shit, I don’t know.”

“So then maybe _your_ video, even if it’s dumb, will make someone out there laugh and brighten their bad day because they found some silly video on the internet.”

Well, when she says it like that…

Annabeth hovers over the publish button on the tab she had subconsciously pulled up on her laptop during their conversation.

“Just do it.”

Annabeth sighs as Piper shoots her a stern look. She can’t believe she just got swindled into posting her first Youtube video.

-.-

She knows better than to think it’s going to go anywhere and sure enough, it only has a few views a day later, four of which are definitely Percy and Piper and, by extension, Nico and Jason who had also probably gotten roped into watching it too.

It’s pretty nerve wracking to know that people she knows are watching it. She has a better understanding of what Percy had felt when he had shared his writing. Looking back, she doesn’t know how he managed. 

The comments are from her friends, encouraging her to make more videos and the debate on whether Percy or Piper was first to subscribe still wages on. 

She forces herself to close Youtube (something she hasn’t done in forever) and thinks that if she is going to make another video, it should have more of a point. 

Hey eyes flicker over to the blank wall she had made the initial video against. It’s the wall in the dining room that’s flush with the kitchen that she had been meaning to get some art or something for but she never did. 

She supposes she could try to dress it up now. A vague idea formulates in her head as she opens up Pinterest and does some research. 

Then before she can change her mind, she opens up her camera and presses record.

“Hi everyone, so to continue my How To Youtube question, I’m gonna attempt to make this blank wall,” she pans the camera behind her, “pretty. I’m not an artist but Pinterest showed me some easy paintings, so here we go…”

She has to drive to Michaels to get art supplies and vlogs the entire process. It takes her two days to officially finish filming, but she ends up with a pretty decent landscape of a cactus and a sense of accomplishment. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sharing your creative projects can be hard. Whatever you make should be for you before it’s for anyone else, and if you do decide to share it with others, remember that it’s for you first. And not everyone will love it, but it just takes one person’s encouragement.
> 
> That said, I was so happy that many of you decided to share your thoughts last chapter, about your own struggles with writing (and I hope you see you’re not alone).
> 
> It also got me thinking that I’d love to talk to all of you about writing and stuff. I’m not a professional or anything but I could share some of my writing tips or answer questions about NaNoWriMo (which is how I wrote this story). I have a tumblr (forevfangirlwrites) so always feel free to send asks there!
> 
> Please Comment! I’d love to hear your thoughts!  
> And as always, thanks for reading!  
> See ya! :)


	28. The Twenty-Seventh Chapter

Annabeth is exhausted. She's stayed up way too late editing a video and her eyes are threatening to close. Even her arms feel heavy holding her laptop. But she's done it. She's finished her third video (involving real houseplants instead of the usual fake ones.)

An actual groan escapes her as she puts down her laptop and stretches, her stiff body protesting from being in the same position for the past two hours.

The time reads 2:15 am and she pads through her quiet apartment to pour out a glass of water. She's done it. She's finished editing the video in time for her self proclaimed update day.

And she's drained.

But, surprisingly, it feels good.

Strangely enough, every ache, every yawn makes her feel like she's done _something_. That sense of satisfaction from creating something that after busting her ass for hours makes her feel…complete.

The realization hits her in the face and she stands there in her kitchen at 2:15 am with her heart beating loudly, because it finally doesn't feel like something's off anymore.

Sure, she's only made three Youtube videos, sure she's not that good and she only has a handful of subscribers but she's found her _thing_. She knows her goal. She wants to make more videos, grow her audience. It's the most learning and growth that she's had since college.

She's not naive enough to believe she can make a career out of it, but that's okay. She's not trying to. She just wants to make something cool and help people along the way. And even more surprisingly, she likes her work more.

As if on cue, her phone chimes with an email for an automated testing report for work that runs at 2am everyday. But instead of frowning at it, she _wants_ to open it. She wants to see if the testing she's done is working.

It's like her motivation for life itself has increased.

And suddenly she's wide awake.

Percy was right. Everyone does need a creative outlet.

Speaking of her boyfriend, she wants nothing more than to run to him right now, and tell him everything. She wants to share this realization, wants to thank him for helping her.

But it's 2:30am and she won't see him till tomorrow night.

Frowning, she decides she needs to change that.

-.-

Percy stares at the order he's supposed to be working on, but his tiredness is winning out and he feels his eyes blink close.

"Long night, huh?" Leo says, startling him awake. His friend is leaning against his desk, wiggling his eyebrows in a suggestive way.

Percy shakes his head, rubbing his face in his hands. "If only. I'm just having a really hard time sleeping lately."

Leo's grin morphs into a sympathetic look. "Damn, that sucks dude."

Percy leans forward on his desk. "Yeah, I just need to stay awake through work at this point."

"I'm getting some coffee, want me to grab you a cup?" Leo offers.

"How about I get you a cup? Walking around will help wake me up anyway and I'll save you the trip." He yawns as he stands up and stretches.

"You sure?"

Percy nods, reassuring him, and moves towards the cafeteria. He wishes he knew why he was having trouble sleeping. He had cut out intaking any kind of caffeine after five o'clock (though it hadn't been a problem in the past) and tried every sleep trick or hack he could find.

But for some reason, the last week has been especially rough.

He brings Leo a cup of coffee and decides to ask Annabeth for ideas when he sees her this evening.

But when Annabeth opens the door, she looks just as tired as he feels. The bags under her eyes are back and her hair is frizzy and disheveled.

"Are you okay?" are the first words out of his mouth.

She grins at him and he realizes that despite the bags there's a spark in her eyes. "Yeah," she says as she tugs him inside and nestles herself against him in a hug. "I'm doing great."

"Thank you," she adds, looking up at him.

He knows he's tired and that may be why, but he has no clue what she's talking about.

"Huh?" he manages, focusing more on the feeling of having his girlfriend in his arms than anything else.

"You were right," she replies simply, "I needed a creative outlet."

He thinks this is most likely about her Youtube videos and nods along, his tired mind too wrapped up in her scent to really focus.

"Are you okay?' she asks, noticing his unresponsiveness.

"Yeah, tired," he mumbles into her hair. "Haven't been sleeping well."

She doesn't respond and instead pulls him down so he's resting her forehead on hers.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She brings a hand up to cup the side of his face.

He sighs, relishing her touch. "I've tried everything. I was going to ask you today if you had any ideas that might help."

He can hear the smile in her voice as she answers. "Just one."

And with that she pulls him into a searing kiss that sends a shock through his tired body. He finds himself tugging at her lower lip asking for an entrance without even realizing it. His body works faster than his brain and suddenly he's mapping out her mouth and she's moaning against him.

"I lied," she whispers, breathing heavily when they pull apart. She's flush against him and he's going crazy. "I've got another idea."

"Hmm?" He takes the time to pepper kisses down her necks and her breath shudders.

Her response is just to tug him towards her bedroom.

When Percy wakes up the next morning, Annabeth's already out of bed and he can hear the shower running. The sun peeks from her window and he's got maybe five minutes before he has to go back to his place to get ready for work.

It's the best night's sleep he's gotten in forever. When he sits up and stretches, muscles just a little sore from their activities from the night before, he feels refreshed.

It's not till after he pulls on his clothes and reaches for his phone till he sees the key perched atop his phone case.

He's not tired anymore and gets the message loud and clear.

-.-

"Holy fuck!" Nico yelps as Percy lets himself in once again. "Percy, I will take away your key!"

"It's my apartment," he defends.

Nico rolls his eyes and turns back to the dishes he's doing. "It used to be your apartment," he corrects.

Percy puts a hand over his heart. "I'm hurt!"

Nico rolls his eyes again but Percy can see a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He likes to believe Nico misses him.

He knows he does anyway, and makes a point to visit his old place to hang out with Nico often. And though he does his best to mask his emotions, he thinks Nico is grateful for the consistent contact.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Nico replies in a dry voice that does nothing to quell Percy's smile.

"Oh, Annabeth's throwing an 'It's almost summer!' party thing at our place," he says, looking at the fruit bowl on the table. "Since when do you have a fruit bowl?"

"I'm home! Hey babe….and Percy," Will adds, eyes landing on Percy who's inspecting the small kitchen table.

"Since when do you guys have a fruit bowl?" he asks by way of greeting.

Will shrugs. "Since my sister visited and said we needed a little 'something' on the table."

Percy nods. Every time he visits, there's something new in the space and he can see traces of Will around, slowly making a stronghold in Nico's life. It's good. It's really good. Especially since he catches Nico with a small smile on his face whenever his eyes drift towards those traces of Will.

"Cool," he replies, directing his grin from Nico to Will. "So anyway, see you guys this Saturday!"

And without waiting for any sort of confirmation he strolls out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know about you guys, but I love the feeling of exhaustion that comes after a day of hard work over something you love. The tiredness from knowing you've created something…anyone else agree?
> 
> Also, this was brought up in a comment in the last chapter and I think it's important to address here: let's normalize having real-world jobs to pay bills and having creative hobbies outside of that! I STRONGLY believe not making your job your entire life, working to live and not living to work, to put it another way.
> 
> For Annabeth here, she likes her job and doing youtube is just a creative outlet on the side for fun.
> 
> For Percy, writing a book is his goal, the job is just there to keep him going till he makes the goal. Obviously, it would be great if he could only do writing, but it's difficult to start on a creative career so he gets something that can pay the bills, but still keeps working on his creative endeavor!
> 
> Anyway, that was something I thought was important to take away from this story.
> 
> Please Comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts!  
> And as always, thanks for reading!  
> See ya! :)


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